1993 Bombay blasts: SC to consider Sanjay Dutt's review plea

New Delhi, May 9: The Supreme Court on Friday will take up Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt's plea seeking review of its March 21 judgement upholding his conviction under the Arms Act and sentencing him to five years in jail in 1993 Bombay serial blasts case. A bench of P Sathasivam and BS Chauhan, which had delivered March 21 verdict, will take up the review plea in chamber.

It will also consider similar pleas made by other six convicts in the case. Other six convicts, who filed review petitions are Yusuf Mohsin Nulwalla, Khalil Ahmed Sayed Ali Nazir, Mohamed Dawood Yusuf Khan, Shaikh Asif Yusuf, Muzammil Umar Kadri and Mohd Ahmed Shaikh. A day before the deadline for his surrender ended, the Supreme Court had on April 17 granted Dutt, 53, four weeks time to surrender before jail authorities to undergo 42 months remaining sentence in the case.

The apex court had on March 21 upheld his conviction in the 1993 Bombay serial blasts case which it said was organised by underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and others with the involvement of Pakistan's ISI. However, the apex court had reduced to five years the six- year jail-term awarded to him by a designated TADA court in 2006, ruling out his release on probation saying the "nature" of his offence was "serious".

Dutt was convicted by the TADA court for illegal possession of a 9 mm Pistol and a AK-56 rifle which was part of the consignment of weapons and explosives brought to India for coordinated serial blasts that killed 257 people and injured over 700.

PTI