Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt moved Supreme Court seeking six months of more time to surrender to serve his remaining three-and-a-half year jail term. The four week period granted by the court for his surrender comes to an end this week.
He pleaded that he should be granted more time to surrender in order to complete his film projects as huge money has been invested by the producers in these projects and these would be affected.
Dutt was sentenced to five years in jail by the apex court on 21 March for illegal arms possession during the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts. He was told to surrender by 18 April to serve the remaining sentence. The apex court had reduced his sentence from six years to five years.
Other three convicts – Zaibunisha Anwar Kazi, Issaq Mohd Hajwane and Shariff Abdul Gafoor Parker alias Dadabhai – also approached the apex court for extension of time to surrender.
They pleaded the court that time limit fixed by the apex court be extended till their clemency plea is decided by the President.
Former Supreme Court judge and Press Council of India chief Markandey Katju had made a representation to the President on behalf of Kazi on 18 March and on behalf of other two on 10 April. The Supreme Court had on 21 March upheld TADA court's verdict for five year jail term to Kazi who is 70 years old and suffering from cancer.
Hajwane, 76, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the apex court which enhanced his five year jail term sentence awarded by the trail court. He spent five years in jail during the trial of the case.
Life sentence awarded by TADA court to Parker, 88, was upheld by the apex court. He already served over 14 years in jail.
The writ petitions filed by them have pleaded that they they should not be asked to surrender till the representation made by Katju on their behalf is decided the President. Their petitions would be taken up for hearing on Tuesday.
MAHA COURT REJECTS DUTT’S PLEA TO DEPOSE BEFORE JAIL OFFICIALS
A designated TADA court on Monday rejected the plea of Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, convicted in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case, to surrender before jail authorities instead of the court.
Dutt has to surrender by 18 April before the TADA court in keeping with the directive of the Supreme Court, which recently upheld his conviction in the bombings while reducing his imprisonment from six years to five.
The actor has already served 18 months in jail and has to spend three years and six months more to complete the sentence.
Dutt’s lawyer made an oral plea before the court to give him the liberty to surrender before the jail authorities.
However, the designated TADA Judge G A Sanap rejected the prayer saying that surrender requires complying with formalities such as verification and identification of the accused.
Meanwhile, the court has rejected the prayers of three other convicts – Mohammed Kasam Lajpuria, Dada Sharif Parkar and Issac Hajwani – seeking more time to surrender citing poor health.
The Supreme Court had, in its verdict last month, enhanced the 14-year imprisonment of Parkar (80) to life term in jail, while it also increased the sentence of Hajwani (85) to life imprisonment. Parkar has already spent 14 years in prison. Lajpuria, who was sentenced to 10 years rigorous imprisonment, is yet to complete the sentence as most of the time he was on bail.
He pleaded that he should be granted more time to surrender in order to complete his film projects as huge money has been invested by the producers in these projects and these would be affected.
Dutt was sentenced to five years in jail by the apex court on 21 March for illegal arms possession during the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts. He was told to surrender by 18 April to serve the remaining sentence. The apex court had reduced his sentence from six years to five years.
Other three convicts – Zaibunisha Anwar Kazi, Issaq Mohd Hajwane and Shariff Abdul Gafoor Parker alias Dadabhai – also approached the apex court for extension of time to surrender.
They pleaded the court that time limit fixed by the apex court be extended till their clemency plea is decided by the President.
Former Supreme Court judge and Press Council of India chief Markandey Katju had made a representation to the President on behalf of Kazi on 18 March and on behalf of other two on 10 April. The Supreme Court had on 21 March upheld TADA court's verdict for five year jail term to Kazi who is 70 years old and suffering from cancer.
Hajwane, 76, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the apex court which enhanced his five year jail term sentence awarded by the trail court. He spent five years in jail during the trial of the case.
Life sentence awarded by TADA court to Parker, 88, was upheld by the apex court. He already served over 14 years in jail.
The writ petitions filed by them have pleaded that they they should not be asked to surrender till the representation made by Katju on their behalf is decided the President. Their petitions would be taken up for hearing on Tuesday.
MAHA COURT REJECTS DUTT’S PLEA TO DEPOSE BEFORE JAIL OFFICIALS
A designated TADA court on Monday rejected the plea of Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, convicted in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case, to surrender before jail authorities instead of the court.
Dutt has to surrender by 18 April before the TADA court in keeping with the directive of the Supreme Court, which recently upheld his conviction in the bombings while reducing his imprisonment from six years to five.
The actor has already served 18 months in jail and has to spend three years and six months more to complete the sentence.
Dutt’s lawyer made an oral plea before the court to give him the liberty to surrender before the jail authorities.
However, the designated TADA Judge G A Sanap rejected the prayer saying that surrender requires complying with formalities such as verification and identification of the accused.
Meanwhile, the court has rejected the prayers of three other convicts – Mohammed Kasam Lajpuria, Dada Sharif Parkar and Issac Hajwani – seeking more time to surrender citing poor health.
The Supreme Court had, in its verdict last month, enhanced the 14-year imprisonment of Parkar (80) to life term in jail, while it also increased the sentence of Hajwani (85) to life imprisonment. Parkar has already spent 14 years in prison. Lajpuria, who was sentenced to 10 years rigorous imprisonment, is yet to complete the sentence as most of the time he was on bail.