Bollywood superstar Sanjay Dutt who was sent to jail by a TADA (anti – terrorism) Court, which sentenced him to six years imprisonment in the 1993 Mumbai blast case under the Arms Act for possessing an AK-56 rifle and a 9 mm pistol has been released by the Supreme Court on Monday.
The Supreme Court of India today granted interim bail to Sanjay Dutt and five other Bombay blast convicts on the technical ground as the trial court had failed to provide them with copies of the complete judgment. The duration of bail may not last long, with the apex court making it clear that Sanjay Dutt would have to surrender before the Tada court the day it gives him a copy of the judgment convicting him in the case. In a touch and go situation Sanjay Dutt may just be able to spend Raksha Bandhan on August 28, 2007 at home.
He would come out of the Yerawada prison in Pune within a day or two but would be back in jail as soon as the Tada court is able to provide him with a copy of the judgment dated November 28,2006. The court staff of 22, led by registrar V.S. Gawas, has been working through Sundays and all official holidays to complete the job. The judgment is likely to be over 1000 pages long, and at least 100 photocopies would have to be made, one each for the 100 convicts.
After he is handed the copy and surrenders, Sanjay can apply for regular bail. During the current period he must appear before the police once every week. The court order has been faxed to the trial court. Sanjay’s lawyers will approach the Mumbai court for completion of surety and bail bond formalities.