Reason behind SC decision of rejecting Sanjay Dutt’s plea

Mumbai, May 12:

actor

would return to jail on May 16 to complete his term in connection with Bombay Blasts 1993 case. The

recently rejected his review petition and asked the actor to surrender before the given date.

Clarifying the apex court's decision of rejecting the plea, a division bench headed by Justices P Sathasivam and BS Chauhan said there was no "merit" in Dutt's plea and he had not made out any grounds to make the judges reconsider their March 21 judgment.

An advocate, who is also a part of Dutt's legal advisors, was quoted as saying, "Sanjay has exhausted most of the available legal options to avoid jail, and he will have to go to prison to serve the remainder of his term."

Reports said Dutt's only options now were either to apply for the mercy petition before the Governor or the curative petition, besides of course, to surrender.

Senior lawyer Ujwal Nikam, however, said that the actor now had no other option but to go to jail. Dutt can consider applying for mercy after going to jail, he said.

The apex court had upheld Dutt's conviction in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case which it said was organised by underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and others with the help of Pakistan's ISI.

The court had, however, reduced to five years the six-year jail term awarded to Dutt by a designated TADA court in 2006 and ruled out his release on probation, saying the nature of his crime was serious.

Dutt was convicted by the TADA court for illegally possessing a 9 mm pistol and an AK-56 rifle, which were part of a consignment of weapons and explosives brought to India for the blasts.

OneIndia News