Supreme Court grants bail to Bollywood actor Dutt

The Supreme Court on Monday granted interim bail to Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts` case. Six more convicts who had applied for ex-parte bail have also been granted relief by the apex court.
The bail is valid till he gets a copy of the TADA court judgement. Reports have stated that a copy of the TADA court judgement might be handed over to Dutt by Aug 24.
Dutt`s lawyers should reach Yerawada jail before the 5 pm deadline with a copy of the Supreme Court order for the completion of the formalities to ensure his release by tonight.
There is no confirmation yet that Dutt has been informed of the same.
The petitioners were seeking bail on the grounds that the TADA court has not announced detailed judgements till now and hence they are not in a position to challenge their conviction and sentence on merit.
All petitioners were seeking ex-parte bail.

Support to Sanjay Dutt : Congress Divided

Congress seems to be speaking in different voices on the Sanjay Dutt issue out of its political compulsions.

While the official party position continues to steer clear of the knotty issues concerning the Bollywood actor's conviction by a Tada court and maintains certain distance from him, two ministers have gone gung-ho in lionising Sanjay and drumming up support for him.

"We are concerned about Sanjay but a political party cannot do anything about such a case; we must have confidence in the legal system," Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said on Monday reiterating the party position.

This seemingly terse and detached statement was purported to be the party stand on the illegal possession of arms case resulting in a six-year jail term for Sanjay. In taking a diagonally opposite view, minister for science and technology Kapil Sibal urged Congressmen to rally behind the Dutt family in the hour of crisis.

"Congress should stand by the Dutts because of the enormous contributions made by them," Sibal said. He, in fact, assailed former Attorney General Soli Sorabjee for questioning his stand and asking him not to "send a message" during the pendency of the case.

Incensed by Sorabjee's remarks, Sibal accused him of maintaining silence on the Ayodhya demolition issue. "He never said it was improper for the law minister (in the NDA government) to give certificates of innocence to L K Advani, M M Joshi and Uma Bharati," Sibal said.

He also wondered why Sorabjee had "kept quiet" on the Gujarat riots. "What happened to his moral streak and righteousness when Gujarat was convulsed by riots?" Sibal asked.

Moving even a step further, his cabinet colleague P R Dasmunsi said that Sanjay Dutt inspired the younger generation. Seen in the context of such strong assertions, the restrained statement of the official party spokesman appears to be intended to serve a purpose.

As a political party, Congress seems reluctant to side with the actor known for his association with the underworld at one point in his career and tried and convicted in a case linked to the 1993 serial blasts in Mumbai. Perhaps the party is apprehensive of evoking a middle-class backlash by openly siding with Sanjay. Congress insiders admit that taking a more sympathetic stand would have paved the way for demands for support for every partyman getting caught in a similar legal tangle.

Astrology: 'Sanjay will be free by 2010'

“Sanjay Dutt’s star sign is Leo. And Leos are inherently good people. However, Saturn (which brings sorrow and suffering) is passing over Leo and hence Sanjay’s stint with misfortune. However, the phase will pass in the next three years and he will be released from all his trials and tribulations. Besides, Sanjay’s parents were both Gemini which combines reasonably well with Leo. So, I am expecting some of Sunil and Nargis Dutt’s luck to also influence their son’s life”.

Snippet: Sanjay Dutt's Sentence May Reduce!

People's opinion and the sources from the side of law say that Supreme Court may not acquit Sanjay Dutt completely but reduce the punishment given to him by TADA court.

As TADA sentenced him for 6 years he has to suffer 4.5 years from now as he already spent 18 months earlier. It is being said that Supreme Court may reduce the punishment up to half of the present. If that happens, Sanjay should consider that he has won the case, says an advocate.

But hardly people are confident that Sanjay will be acquitted completely.

Sanjay Dutt jailed for 6 years in Mumbai blasts

MUMBAI, July 31 (Reuters) - An Indian court jailed Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt for six years on Tuesday for acquiring illegal weapons from gangsters involved in India's worst bombings that killed 257 people in 1993.

Dutt, 48, was cleared of conspiracy charges in the serial blasts in India's financial capital of Mumbai, but was found guilty of unauthorised possession of an automatic rifle and a pistol.

"It was an eminently dangerous act," judge Pramod Kode said. "With the punishment of a minimum of five years and maximum of 10 years it can in no way be a minor offence or of a less grave nature."

Dutt's trial has transfixed India and fans of Bollywood, the world's largest film industry by ticket sales. He has millions of dollars riding on him in films under production.

The actor is the most high-profile among 100 people, mostly Muslims, found guilty in the bombings trial, one of the world's longest-running court cases.

The 1993 Mumbai attacks were ordered by India's most wanted man, Dawood Ibrahim, a Muslim, to avenge the razing of a 16th-century mosque by Hindu zealots in 1992 and subsequent Hindu-Muslim riots in India, police say.

Ibrahim and his top associates have not faced trial as they fled the country soon after the blasts, police say. Ibrahim is believed to be hiding in Pakistan, but the government in Islamabad denies this.

Dutt's lawyers had urged that the actor, who found fame playing gangsters and anti-heroes, be set free for his good behaviour during his bail.

But the court rejected the argument.

Son of legendary film couple Sunil Dutt and Nargis, the heavy-set actor has been on bail since 1995 after more than a year in prison during initial investigations into the blasts.

He is expected to appeal.

Snippet: Sanjay Dutt's ‘mantra’ for life!

For years Sanjay Dutt’s young fans have imitated his fashion fundas and style statements and treated anything he does as their mantra for life. Now the man himself has found his own sacred mantra. We all know how religious Sanju is; in fact, he doesn’t ever leave the house without his morning prayers.
During Navratri, there’s a special puja in his house every day, and of course, he’s purely shakahari for those nine days. Sanju recently learnt the Gayatri mantra, and now his day begins with chanting. The chores come only later. Well, we wonder if his fans will follow this ‘mantra’, too. It’s called blind faith, right?

Reel Buzz: A lesson from Munnabhai!

The deglamorisation of the drug Ecstacy was the main topic of discussion at a talk on World Anti Drug Day, at a talk in Mumbai. And the man who came to talk about it, was none other than Sanjay Dutt. Since Sanjay has been a personal victim of drugs, there was nobody better then him to talk about it. “The days I used to do drugs were the worst days of my life. Life is so much beautiful now,” he said. And then in typical Munnabhai style, he added, “Munnabhai bolta hai drugs nahin use karne ka!”