Sanjay Dutt to serve sentence in Yerwada prison, to file curative petition

Sanjay Dutt to serve sentence in Yerwada prison, to file curative petition

NEW DELHI: Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt today surrendered before the designated TADA court in Mumbai to serve his sentence in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case.

The court directed that he be sent to the Yerwada jail.

Earlier on his entering the court, formalities began for his surrender. The court commenced the process for the identification of Dutt, whose conviction was upheld by the supreme court recently.

He had come to the court with his wife Maanyata, brother-in-law Kumar Gaurav and senior filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt.

On arrival, he was mobbed by the media and both he and Bhatt appealed to the media persons to let him complete the formality of surrender.

Meanwhile, his lawyer later told media-persons that he would move the Supreme Court with a curative petition.

The supreme court on 10 May rejected a review petition by the actor against his conviction under the Arms Act.

The court had earlier on 21 March upheld his conviction under the Arms Act and sentenced him to five years of jail in relation to the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case. However, he was given time to complete his assignments in the film industry.

He had to surrender by 4.00 pm today.

The court which had upheld the death sentence of Yakub Abdul Razak Memon, a key conspirator with Dawood Ibrahim in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, had ordered that Dutt return to jail to serve three-and-a-half years' sentence for possessing illegal arms. Dutt has already served a jail term of 18 months.

A total of 257 persons were killed and 713 others injured when a series 13 coordinated explosions shattered the metropolis on 12 March 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.