Mumbai, May 16 (ANI): Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, convicted in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts case for possessing illegal weapons, surrendered before a special TADA court here today.
Clad in a white kurta and blue jeans, the actor was accompanied by his wife Manyata, sister Priya Dutt and many friends including Mahesh Bhatt and Apurva Lakhia as he arrived at the court.
As soon as Dutt's vehicle arrived near the court, it was surrounded by people, including press photographers. Bhatt first emerged out of the car and with folded hands requested the media personnel to move away so that he was able to reach the court.
The actor is expected to be first sent to the Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai and then reportedly be sent to Pune's Yerwada jail where he will serve his three year six month sentence. Authorities at the Arthur Road Jail received an anonymous letter yesterday stating that there is a threat to the actor's life in that prison.
On Tuesday, Dutt had pleaded in court that he be allowed to surrender directly at the Yerawada jail as he feared a threat to his life from fundamentalist groups. On Wednesday he withdrew his plea, without giving reasons.
On May 10, the Supreme Court had rejected Dutt's plea seeking review its March 21 judgement upholding his conviction under the Arms Act and sentencing him to five years in jail in the arms case, saying there is no merit in it.
The apex court, which had upheld the death sentence of Yakub Abdul Razak Memon, a key conspirator with Dawood Ibrahim in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, ordered that Dutt return to jail to serve three-and-a-half years sentence for possessing illegal arms.
A total of 257 persons were killed and 713 others injured when a series 13 coordinated explosions shattered the metropolis on March 12, 1993.
The blasts occurred at 12 places, including Bombay Stock Exchange building, Air-India Building at Nariman Point, at Worli opposite Century Bazaar, Hotels Sea Rock and Juhu Centaur. (ANI)
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