No HC relief for Sanjay Dutt aide in 1993 bomb blasts case

Mumbai, Feb 5: The Bombay High Court has refused to grant interim relief of release from jail sought by 1993 bomb blasts convict Ibrahim Moosa Chauhan, who is currently undergoing sentence for supplying weapons to actor Sanjay Dutt at his residence.

Chauhan had moved the High Court through lawyer Farhana Shah challenging cancellation of remission in the 10-year sentence awarded to him by a TADA court in Mumbai.

Pending the final decision on his petition, he sought interim relief praying that he should be released from jail. A bench of Acting Chief Justice V K Tahilramani and Justice Shalini Phansalkar Joshi, while admitting the petition filed by Chauhan, posted it for further hearing on March 21. However, the bench refused to grant interim relief.

Ibrahim Moosa Chauhan alias Baba Chauhan was initially granted remission in his 10-year sentence on account of good conduct and was to be released from prison in November 2015. However, his remission was cancelled by Inspector General (prisons) recently, says the petition.

Aggrieved, he moved the high court. Dutt was sentenced to five years imprisonment by a TADA court and is due to be released from jail next month.

His jail term was reduced by 18 months on account of his good behaviour and work done by him in prison.

The 56-year-old actor has already spent around three- and-a-half years in jail. Chauhan pleaded he was similarly placed like Dutt and had displayed good behaviour in prison like the actor. He, therefore, should be given the same facility of remission on the lines of the remission granted to Dutt.

PTI