SC to hear Sanjay Dutt's bail plea on Nov 27

The Supreme Court on Tuesday said it will hear on November 27 the bail petition filed by actor Sanjay Dutt, who has been sentenced to six years imprisonment in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case.

The court said it will hear all appeals filed by the convicts along with that of Dutt next Tuesday and apply the same parameter for granting bail.

"We will pass a general order and anyone coming within that parameter will get relief/bail," a bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan said.

The court asked the Central Bureau of Investigation to provide in tabular form the offence and sentences awarded to different convicts. 

The court had on November 2 declined Dutt an urgent hearing, saying it will take up his plea along with petitions of three other convicts -- Yusuf Mohsin Nallawala, Samir Hingora and woman accused Zaibunisa Anwar Qazi.

Earlier, it had asked the CBI to respond to their bail petitions.

In his plea, Dutt has contended that during the 14 years of trial he has already undergone one-fourth of the six-year of jail term he was awarded in the case. The actor had remained in jail for 18 months during the trial before he was granted bail by the apex court.

Dutt was convicted on November 28, 2006 and the quantum of punishment was pronounced on July 31, 2007, following which he was taken into custody.

However, he was granted interim bail on August 20 on the condition that on getting a copy of his conviction judgment, he would surrender before the TADA court. Dutt, who got a copy of the judgment on October 22, complied with the bail condition and surrendered before being taken to Yerrawada jail in Pune.

In his petition, the actor said he was willing to abide to any condition which the apex court decides to impose for granting him bail.

The actor said that after being initially granted bail in 1996 by the trial judge he had travelled abroad over 50 times, but had never breached the bail conditions imposed upon him.

The Bollywood actor said though he has been sentenced to six years imprisonment by the designated TADA Judge P D Kode under the Arms Act, he still hoped that the apex court would release him on probation by setting aside the order of conviction.

He has submitted that the TADA judge as per the law did not obtain a report from the probation officer before rejecting his plea for release on probation.

As the appeal filed by him on August 7 would take a considerably long time as the judgment of the TADA court ran into 10,000 pages, Dutt said he should be released on bail to avoid his further incarceration.

The TADA court has held him guilty of possessing an AK 56 rifle and a pistol under the Arms Act but acquitted him of charges under the TADA.