SC to hear Dutt's petition on Aug 10

New Delhi, Aug 8: The Supreme Court today fixed August 10 for the hearing of the petition of Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt against his conviction and sentence by the Mumbai TADA court under the Arms Act in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case and also his plea for the suspension of the sentence and his release on bail in the case.

Sanjay Dutt had filed an appeal in the apex court yesterday challenging the TADA court order dated July 31,2007 sentencing him to six-year rigorous imprisonment under the Arms Act for possessing weapons illegally.

The petition was mentioned by senior counsel Fali S Nariman before the constitution bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan for an urgent hearing. Other judges on the bench were Justices Arijit Pasayat, C K Thakker, R V Raveendran and Dalveer Bhandari.

The actor in his petition had sought bail on the grounds that his appeal would take a long time in disposal in view of the voluminous case record running into more than 10,000 pages and hence be granted bail.

Dutt had also contended that his conduct during the last 14 years had been quite satisfactory and the TADA court committed a mistake by rejecting his plea for his release on probation under the Probation of Offenders Act without calling for a report from the prosecution.

Dutt had also contended that he had already served 16 months in jail and the offence against him had not been proved as none of the arms was recovered from him and he was not found in possession of any illegal arm. The actor had said he had suffered enough and had been undergoing mental torture for the last over 14 years.

He had pleaded for his acquittal in the case and asked the apex court to set aside the TADA court judgement.

The trial court in its order had said the convict had not only committed the offence himself but had instigated others also to commit an offence.

The TADA court had, however, exonerated Dutt of any offence under TADA.

Dutt was earlier granted bail by the apex court when the case was in its inception.

Sanjay Dutt was the last person to be sentenced in the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts case having 123 accused out of which about a dozen were sentenced to death by the TADA court.

More than 200 lives were lost and hundreds others seriously injured in the blasts which had rocked the metropolis following the anti-Muslim riots and the demolition of Babri Masjid.

UNI