Order reserved on Sanjay Dutt’s probation plea
A special court Monday reserved its order on the Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt petition seeking probation after his conviction for his role in the 1993 Mumbai serial bombings.
The special Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Preventive) Acts (TADA) court here reserved its decision on the application moved by the actor seeking relief under the Probation of Offenders Act (POA) till further orders.
Special Judge Pramod Kode said that the court may decide the matter along with similar applications by other 67 accused in 1993 Mumbai serial blasts trial, expectedly on March 12.
The Bollywood star, convicted last November for possessing illegal weapons in the trial of the 1993 bombings, had filed an application under the POA, under which a person convicted of any offence other than the one punishable with death or life imprisonment, can be released on probation instead of serving the sentence in prison.
The court had earlier admitted Dutt’s plea seeking relief under POA.
But special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam had opposed the plea, saying that the court has to get a report from a probation officer before deciding his plea.
“The POA was meant for young and immature offenders,” Nikam argued.
“Dutt, who was 34 years old in 1993 when he accepted an AK-56 rifle and a Chinese-made 9mm pistol from Samir Hingora, was mature and adult,” he told the court.
“Dutt could then distinguish between a hunting rifle and an AK-56 - a weapon of mass destruction”.
The actor’s lawyer Satish Maneshinde had asked the court to appoint a probation officer and call for a report on Dutt’s behaviour.
Opposing the plea, Nikam said: “Granting probation under the POA would send a wrong signal to society and the report of the probation officer should be called only after the court formulates an opinion regarding Dutt’s application.
“The report should not be called until the court has formed an opinion on the accused,” he contended.
— IANS
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