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A TADA court on Tuesday extended till December 19 the bail of actor Sanjay Dutt, held guilty under the Arms Act in the 1993 bomb blast case. This was after he pleaded he had to make arrangements for his daughter to continue her education in the US and complete some films.
"I have to make a lot of arrangements regarding my daughter. Kindly extend bail on humanitarian grounds. My father also died last year and I have to look after the entire family, including my sister," Sanjay, who was free on bail before his conviction, told Judge P D Kode.
The star also said he had to probate his father's will.
Sanjay's lawyer Satish Maneshinde said the actor had to make a 'lot of arrangements', failing which his daughter Trishala, who studies law in New York, would have to discontinue her education.
"The future of many technicians and financers are also at stake as Dutt is yet to finish some film assignments he had undertaken and I hence ask for an extension of four weeks," Maneshinde said.
Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam objected to this, saying such 'flimsy' grounds must not be considered and special treatment must not be given to an accused just because he is a 'matinee idol'.
This prompted Sanjay, standing in the witness box, to tell Nikam, "Put yourself in my shoes."
The judge intervened at this point.
Kode extended Sanjay's bail by three weeks till December 19 though he had earlier asked for a 'sound ground' to grant the relief.
Sanjay, the 'accused number 117' in the blasts case, was convicted under the Arms Act by Kode, who acquitted him of terror charges under the TADA Act.