Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, who has been convicted under the Arms Act in connection with the 1993 Mumbai blasts, moved the Supreme Court on Monday to give him more time to surrender.
On 21 March, the apex court upheld the conviction of Sanjay Dutt for illegal possession of arms. But the court reduced his sentence from six years (which was pronounced by the now defunct TADA) to five. The court also acquitted him of more serious charges of terrorism and conspiracy.
The actor who has already spent 18 months in jail will have to surrender before 18 April to serve his remaining jail term.
Several political leaders and his friends from the film industry had appealed to the governor of Maharashtra to pardon him. But the actor said in an emotional press conference last month that he would not seek pardon and would surrender before the court on time.
On the contrary, Dutt moved the apex court on Monday seeking six months time to surrender. The court will hear his case on Tuesday. Even as he filed a petition, 70-year-old Zaibunissa Kazi who has also been convicted on similar grounds as Dutt, has filed a separate petition arguing that the punishment should be temporarily suspended until the Maharashtra governor or the President of India decides to grant pardon.
According to some reports, Dutt has reportedly sought time to finish his film projects. The actor has committed himself to numerous projects including "Policegiri", "Munna Bhai 3", "P.K.", and "Zanjeer". It has been said that the films the actor has signed for are worth about ₹70 to ₹100 crore.
On 12 March, 1993, 12 bomb blasts rocked Mumbai killing 257 people and injuring more than 700. The apex court upheld the death sentence of main accused Yakub Memon in the Mumbai serial blasts. It also commuted the death sentences of 10 others to life.
