5 yrs jail for Sanjay Dutt

Death for main accused Yakub Memon 20 years after the Mumbai blast that killed 257 & injured 700... Venkat Parsa New Delhi: Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt will be back in jail for about three-and-a-half years, as the Supreme Court on Thursday convicted him under the Arms Act for illegal possession of weapons in the March 1993 Mumbai serial blasts that killed 257 persons and injured over 700. The Supreme Court upheld death sentence of Yakub Abdul Razak Memon, brother of one of the absconding main conspirators, Tiger Memon, and life sentences of 16 of the 18 convicts. Death sentence of 10 others was commuted to life sentence by the court, which directed that they will remain in prison till death. The apex court reduced the sentence of six years, awarded to Dutt by the special TADA (Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act) court in 2007, to five years, but said, "the circumstances and the nature of the offence is so serious that we are of the view that he (Sanjay Dutt) cannot take the benefit of provisions of the Probation of Offenders Act to release him on probation." The Supreme Court Bench, comprising Justice P Sathasivam and Justice B S Chauhan, said, "We reduce the punishment of six years to minimum of five years under the Arms Act." Sanjay Dutt will have to spend three-and-a-half years in jail, as he has already spent 18 months in jail earlier, to complete the five-year jail term. The Apex Court directed Sanjay Dutt to surrender within four weeks, though he also won the right to file a review petition. On March 12, 1993, a dozen bombs placed in vehicles, ripped through several Mumbai localities, killing 257 persons and injuring more than 700 persons. The conspiracy was hatched by underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his associate Tiger Memon, in retaliation to the demolition of the Babri Masjid and the communal riots that followed in the city.A Both Dawood and Memon are absconding and believed to be in Pakistan. Sanjay Dutt had told the police that he knew Dawood's brother Anees and had also attended a party hosted by the don in Dubai in 1991.A Sanjay Dutt, 53, son of former Bollywood stars Nargis and Sunil Dutt (the latter was also a Congress MP and minister), said in Mumbai after the verdict was announced, "I still believe in the judiciary and my family is with me. I am still strong. Whatever is the judgment of the court, I will respect it. I want all to pray for me. God is great." His sister, Congress MP from Mumbai, Priya Dutt, who was at the Supreme Court, broke down after the verdict. However, she refused to comment , saying "I don't want to speak. I really do not know what to say." Satish Maneshinde, the actor's lawyer, said Sanjay respected the court's order and would abide by the decision. According to sources, the actor's legal team might consider going in for a review petition. Sanjay Dutt was convicted by the TADA court for illegal possession of 9 mm pistol and AK-56 rifle, which was part of the consignment of weapons and explosives, brought to India for coordinated serial blasts. But the actor who was arrested a month after the serial blasts claimed he had sought the weapons to protect his family, especially as his father had received threats from communal elements for his relief work among victims of the post-Babri Masjid demolition riots in Mumbai. Life sentence of Ashrafur Rehman Azimulla was reduced to 10 years, while Imtiyaz Yunusmiya Ghavte was set free by reducing the sentence to jail term already undergone. A It upheld the five-year jail term awarded to Zaibunnisa Anwar Kazi, who was found guilty of storing AK-56 rifles and hand grenades. The Supreme Court upheld conviction and five-year sentence of Yusuf Mohsin Nulwalla, a close friend of Sanjay Dutt, who was held guilty of destroying the weapons, which were kept at his house. The punishment of two-year jail term of Kersi Bapuji Adjania, who was sentenced for destroying weapons in Sanjay Dutt's possession, was also upheld. The Apex Court stated, "We are in agreement with the conclusion arrived at by the designated TADA court that had rejected the arguments of the appellant Sanjay Dutt. We are of the view that the trial court adopted the correct procedure and the decision arrived at by it was correct." According to the CBI, RDX had come from Pakistan in boats and had landed in Dighy and Shekhadi coasts in Raigad district in January and February 1993. Besides, weapons had also landed and were collected by Tiger's men. One of the weapons was given to actor Sanjay Dutt by filmmakers Samir Hingora and Hanif Kadawala. The Apex Court modified the nine-year jail term awarded by TADA court to Hingora to the jail term already undergone. Hingora had supplied AK-56 rifles, magazines, cartridges and hand grenades, which were part of the illegal consignment to be used in the blasts, at Dutt's Pali Hill residence and has spent six- and-a-half years in jail. Hanif Kadawala was shot dead in February 2001 by two unidentified men during the trial of the case. The apex court also slammed Pakistan and the ISI for their role in the serial blasts case. It noted that many of the convicts had been trained to handle sophisticated weapons in Pakistan. (With inputs from our Special Correspondent in Mumbai)