Mumbai: Indian Supreme Court on Thursday ordered Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt to serve a five year jail sentence in the 1993 Mumbai blasts, Indian media reports.
Earlier, Dutt was sentenced on July 31, 2007 to six years in jail for illegal weapons possession acquired from terrorist acquaintances, who were responsible for the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts. He was, however, acquitted.
Supreme Court says that the circumstances and nature of offence was so serious that Dutt could not be released on probation. They further mentioned that convicts who are on bail, including Sanjay Dutt, will have to surrender within four weeks.
Supreme Court upheld life sentence of 16 out of 18 convicts sentenced by TADA (Terrorist and Disruptive Activities) court.
Dutt, who has already served nearly 18 months in jail after his arrest in 1993, will now have to go to jail and serve the remaining term of three and a half years. Dutt will not be able to shoot pictures during the remaining three and a half years of prison term, the Supreme Court said.
He was granted bail by the Supreme Court on November 27, 2007.
A total of 257 persons were killed and 713 others injured when a series 13 coordinated explosions shattered the metropolis on March 12, 1993.
Dutt maintains he knew nothing about the bomb plot and that he asked for the guns to protect his family after receiving threats during sectarian riots in Mumbai.
The 53-year-old was not in court while his sister Priya Dutt, who is a member of parliament, looked visibly upset when the verdict was pronounced.
Dutt's lawyer Satish Maneshinde said he has spoken to the actor who has four weeks to hand himself in to the authorities. “He has accepted the judgement,” said Maneshinde. “He will go through the verdict and will consider all the legal recourses available to him”.
