Now, Katju plea for Zaibunnisa

Venkat Parsa New Delhi: After arguing for pardon for film star Sanjay Dutt in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, Press Council of Chairman Justice Markandeya Katju has announced that he will take up the case of Zaibunnisa Qazi, who has also been convicted and sentenced to five-year jail term. Like Sanjay Dutt, Justice Kaju argued, Zaibunnisa Qazi, too, deserved pardon. He said he arrived at the conclusion, after going through the case details and the Supreme Court verdict in the Mumbai serial blasts case relating to Zaibunnisa Qazi. After addressing a letter to Maharashtra Governor K Shankaranarayanan for pardon to Sanjay Dutt, he found a legal difficulty and now, as a matter of abundant caution, he said he will appeal to President Pranab Mukherjee, seeking pardon for Zaibunnisa Qazi. There is a view that the Maharashtra Governor may not have the power of pardon, as the offence related to Arms Act, which is Entry 5 in List 1 in Schedule 7 of the Constitution, which is why he has to approach the President. Justice Katju said, "The only charge, on which she has been convicted, is possessing some prohibited weapons."