TADA court issues release orders for Dutt and two others

Mumbai, Aug 22 (UNI) The designated TADA court judge P D Kode today issued release orders for actor Sanjay Dutt and two others from the Yerawada jail in Pune after the Supreme Court granted them interim bail in the 1993 bomb blasts case.

A copy of the Apex court's order reached the TADA court this morning, court sources said. Dutt's friend Yusuf Nulwala and Zaibunissa were the others for whom release orders were also issued.

Dutt's lawyer handed over the order to the Court's Registrar.

According to the sources, the legal formalities were completed within an hour, and subsequently the papers, directing the Yerawada Jail authorities to release Dutt and two others, were given to the lawyer at about 1620 hours.

Earlier, appearing before the judge, Sanjay's close associates Nitin Manmohan and Pankaj Kharbanda were asked if they stood surety for the actor under duress or any pressure. They submitted they were the actor's close friends for several years and there was no pressure from any quarter. Nitin and Pankaj stood surety for an amount of Rs five lakhs each.

Nulwala's brother stood surety for him, while for Zaibunissa her relative stood surety.

UNI