|  |
Advertisement
 |
|
| | |
| | Even as the TADA (Terrorist And Disruptive Activities) court is likely to declare the date of pronouncing the final sentence against the 100 convicts in the 1993 serial bomb blast case on Friday, film actor Sanjay Dutt's lawyers, on Tuesday, pleaded for a lesser punishment and asked that the actor be released on probation. The prosecution has sought maximum punishment for Dutt under the Arms Act, which is 10 years.
Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said: "On Friday, the defence will file their reply based on our arguments against all the convicts, thus completing all the requirements before the sentence is pronounced. We expect the court to pronounce the date on which it will deliver the final sentence on the same day, based on our arguments and the evidence provided by the prosecution."
Dutt's lawyer VR Manohar argued before the court that his client is not a hardened criminal as called by the public prosecutor.
Manohar also informed the court that Dutt was not really acquainted with gangsters Dawood Ibrahim and his brother, Anees, but he had coincidentally been introduced to them during a film shooting in Dubai.
He also argued that Dutt apprehended danger for his family, when his father late Sunil Dutt was assaulted twice and the police did nothing about it. As per his confession, when Dutt relayed this to his friends, Samir Hingora and Hanif Kadawala, Hanif volunteered to provide an automatic firearm. Dutt did not ask for the firearm personally.
After the riots subsided, he asked Samir and Hanif to take away the AK-56 kept with him, but the duo kept delaying it, added the lawyer, pleading that the court should consider the fact that Dutt has already spent 16 months in custody and is entitled to 6 more months of remission. Remission of sentence is granted to the accused for maintaining good conduct in jail, as per the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Later Dutt's second lawyer Satish Maneshinde also requested the court to call for the report from probation officers, hearing on which was adjourned till Friday.
Email Mustafa Plumber: Mustafa.plumber@hindustantimes.com |
