The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday contended before the special court that Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt should be awarded ten years rigorous imprisonment for his role in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts.
Meanwhile, the court on Thursday provided further relief to Dutt and extended the time limit for his surrender until further orders.
The prosecution, on behalf of the CBI, on Thursday completed its arguments on the quantum of punishment to be awarded to Dutt, who has been convicted under the Arms Act.
The defence sought time till February 20 to file a reply on the prosecution’s arguments.
While opposing the actor’s plea for relief under the Probation of Offender’s Act (POA), special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam contended before the court that Dutt was found in possession of an AK-56 rifle, which is a weapon of mass destruction, and, therefore, should be awarded ten years rigorous imprisonment under the Arms Act.
A person held guilty under the act faces five to ten years imprisonment and Dutt has already spent 18 months in prison as an undertrial.
Opening the arguments on the second day, the CBI prosecutor contended before the court that Dutt was a habitual offender. Dutt had acquired a 9 mm pistol from Abdul Quyoom, a close associate of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, in 1991, the prosecution told the court.
That apart, the actor had attended a dinner hosted by Dawood Ibrahim in Dubai.
The contention of Dutt’s lawyers was that the AK-56 rifle was for self-defence, but the prosecution told the court that at the time of the communal riots in Mumbai, two armed police constables had been posted outside Dutt’s residence and he himself possessed four licensed firearms at that time which was sufficient for self defence.
A person is known by the company he keeps, the prosecution told the court while contending that Dutt had links with the underworld. The prosecution told the court not to go by the character of Sanjay Dutt’s parents but should go by the gravity of the offence committed by the actor.
While Sanjay Dutt was shooting in Mauritius, he had called up Yusuf Nalwala and told the latter to destroy the AK-56 rifle, the prosecution told the court. This is an indication of the guilty mind, the prosecution argued.
Therefore, Dutt cannot be allowed to avail relief under the POA, the prosecution argued.
Advocate Nikam, meanwhile, will open his arguments from February 14 on the quantum of punishment to be awarded to other convicted persons in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case.
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