1993 blasts case: Sanjay Dutt moves SC seeking more time to surrender

Pleading that he has to dub for a number of his films, actor Sanjay Dutt may move the Supreme Court Tuesday to seek more time to surrender following his conviction in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case. Senior counsel Harish Salve Monday said he would mention Dutt's application seeking six months to surrender in order to complete the dubbing work. Dutt, 53, was sentenced to five years in jail by the apex court March 21 for illegal arms possession during the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts. He was told to surrender by April 18 to serve the remaining sentence. The apex court had reduced his sentence from six years to five years. Dutt was convicted for possessing AK-56 rifles, magazines, cartridges and hand grenades. The weapons and ammunition, which was allegedly part of a cache that was to be used in the bomb blasts, was supplied to Dutt at his Pali Hill residence by underworld operative Samir Hingora. The actor has already undergone one-and-half years of imprisonment and, according to the apex court order, he has to be jailed for the remaining three-and half years of the sentence. While rejecting his plea for probation, the apex court had held: "The circumstances and the nature of the offence as analysed and discussed are so serious and we are of the view that they do not warrant A-117 (Dutt) the benefit of the provisions of the Probation of Offenders Act." However, the court had said that "taking note of various aspects, we reduce the sentence to the minimum period, from 6 years to 5 years". Meanwhile, convicts in the Mumbai blasts case Zaibunnisa Anwar Kazi, Ishaq Mohammed and Sharif Abdul have moved the apex court seeking the suspension of their sentence till their mercy petitions are decided by the president. They have cited ailments and the advanced age as reasons for relief. Zaibunnisa Anwar Kazi has said that she was being treated for kidney cancer and her condition was so bad that she not only requires constant medical attention but also needs an attendant to take care of her. She has said that she would be not be able to survive in the conditions prevalent in jails. In her plea, she said that a petition under Article 72 has been filed on her behalf before the president seeking the pardon of her punishment. Ishaq Mohammed, 88, and Sharief Abdul, 76, have cited their advanced age as ground for relief.