Sanjay was prepared for this: Lawyer
January 16, 1993 was the day that turned actor Sanjay Dutt’s world upside down. On that day, gangster Abu Salem delivered three AK-56 rifles, its ammunition, one 9mm pistol and its cartridges along with 25 hand granades to Dutt’s residence in Bandra. In a couple of days, the actor made Anees Ibrahim take it all back, except for an AK-56, which he claimed was for self-protection. The actor has since spent one-and-a-half year in jail for this act. The SC judgment on Thursday means he will have to spend another three-and-a-half years in jail, unless he gets some relief through a review petition in the court.
Dutt’s role in the 1993 serial bomb blasts case was restricted to accepting weapons, which were part of arms smuggled as part of the bomb blast conspiracy. According to the CBI, the actor had sought weapons from Anees Ibrahim, while the actor in his confession said that they were for self-protection. The designated Tada judge Pramod Kode, in his judgment upheld the actor’s claim, thereby acquitting him from Tada charges and instead convicting him under the Arms Act.
Judge Kode dismissed the CBI’s claim because the agency did not have any evidence to prove that Dutt had asked for weapons from Anees Ibrahim. The CBI’s case relied on co-accused Sameer Hingora’s confession, which the judge held “lacked cogency”.
On the other hand, the actor in his confession claimed that he wanted a weapon for self-protection as his family was getting threat calls post 1992-93 riots in Mumbai. This claim of getting threats was also corroborated via a police complaint filed by his father, late Sunil Dutt, prior to the bomb blasts.
Dutt’s lawyer Satish Maneshinde was not very optimistic either. He said, “I am not sure what relief he can claim. But, he will abide by the apex court’s order in letter and spirit. Three-and-a-half-years is not a long period. We
have prepared him (for the sentence) from the very beginning.”
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