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April 19, 1993.
April 26, 1993.
November 21, 2005.
These are three of the dates that film star Sanjay Dutt would desperately want to forget.
On April 19, 1993, he was arrested in connection with the Mumbai serial blasts of March 12, 1993.
At 1530 IST on April 26, 1993, he gave a statement before Deputy Commissioner of Police Krishnalal Bishnoi. This statement kept him in jail for two years.
And now, a reported confession of Abu Salem on November 21 has left Dutt a very worried man. He is consulting top criminal lawyers on the various implications of Salem's reported confession.
Though lawyers think chances of the police clubbing Salem's fresh trial with the blasts case are slim, Dutt is waiting for the TADA court's final opinion on the matter.
Amidst all these developments, Dutt's 1993 statement to the police is the key.
He withdrew the statement later and four out of five independent witnesses turned hostile in the TADA court.
What exactly did Sanjay Dutt say in that all-important statement?
rediff.com brings you the transcript of that statement.
I -- Sanjay Sunil Dutt; age: 34 years; occupation: film artist -- stay at 58, Pali Hill, Bandra Bombay- 60 with my father and two sisters.
I studied arts in Elphinstone college for a year before dropping out. After that, I took private acting classes before getting into movies in 1980. I have three valid licenses for firearms and possess three weapons as mentioned below:
1. 270 Bruno rifle.
2. .375 double barrel magnum.
3. 12 bore shotgun.
I purchased these weapons as I was fond of hunting. I normally go hunting with a friend of mine, Yusuf Nullwala, as he is an experienced hunter.
In December 1991, I had given dates to actor-producer Feroz Khan for his film Yalgar.
He took the entire unit to shoot in Dubai.
During one of the shoots, Khan introduced me to one Dawood Ibrahim.
He introduced me to his brother Anees during another shooting session. After that meeting, Anees used to visit us regularly during the shooting and also where we were staying.
One day, Dawood Ibrahim invited the entire unit for dinner at his residence.
I attended the party like other unit members.
There were many others in the party and we were introduced to Iqbal Mirchi, Sharad Shetty, Chota Rajan.
There were also many artistes from Pakistan. Since Anees used to frequent the sets, I got to know him quite well.
I also know the proprietors of Magnum Video Hanif Kadawala and Samir Hingora. I signed one of their films Sanam. Samir is the treasurer of IMPA (Indian Motions Pictures Association). Hanif and Samir used to come quite frequently to my house to discuss dates with my secretary.
My father is an active political worker of the Congress and has been elected as member of Parliament in the last Lok Sabha election from Bandra. He also takes lot of interest in social work.
During the recent riots (communal riots in the aftermath of the Babri Masjid demolition) my father has taken interest and organised aid for the riot victims with the film industry's help.
Many people from the industry, party and social organisations used to come home regularly to arrange for relief material.
During that period, we used to get anonymous threats over telephone. They threatened to kill or assault the males in the family and molest or rape my sisters.
Everybody in the family was frightened and was under great stress.
Also, my father was attacked twice -- when he visited Jogeshwari and Behrampura -- and branded a pro-Muslim person. Once, while my father was on a hunger strike at Hutatma Chawk, I got an anonymous threat on phone. I contacted the local police. However, no special protection was given to my father. That day, I coincidentally met an Army officer whom I knew.
I told him the above details and sought his help. He was kind enough to guard our house that night. Later, I casually mentioned the threats to a number of persons including Hanif Kadawala and Samir Hingora.
Hanif told me that if I wanted, he would make immediate arrangements to get an automatic weapon for me.
Initially I wasn't interested, but Hanif and Samir insisted that I get the weapon and I I agreed to do so. They said they would immediately provide me with one.
One day in January 1993, around 9 or 9:30 pm, Hanif and Samir came to my house along with a man by name Salem.
Part II: Sanjay Dutt: 'I needed the rifles only till the riots ended'