Mumbai, July 31:

Bollywood’s star actor Sanjay Dutt, on whose shoulders ride about a billion rupees in investment of the Indian film industry, was sentenced to six years in prison for illegally possessing “dangerous” weapons in the 1993 Mumbai bombings as one of the longest criminal trials in India ended today.

The 48-year-old actor, who has already served 16 months in jail, was immediately taken into custody to serve a “rigorous imprisonment” sentence and his bail bond was cancelled. Dutt, who wore a white shirt and jeans and a days-old stubble, appeared stunned.

PD Kode, special judge of the anti-terror TADA court, disregarded the actor’s plea for leniency under the Probation of Offenders Act for good behaviour through the last 14 years of the trial and refused to extend his bail.

The judge has been hearing the trial of the offenders in the serial bombings, then the world’s worst urban terror attack that killed 257 people and injured hundreds. Dutt, son of star parents Sunil and Nargis Dutt and whose sister Priya Dutt is a Congress MP, had been convicted under the Arms Act for possessing a 9 mm pistol and an AK-56 rifle that had been given to him in January 1993 by members of the underworld. Dutt was, however, absolved of terror charges. Kode said being in possession of the weapons was an “imminent dangerous act”. “If you want to protect your family, you can take a lawful step.

Lawyer for Dutt said they will appeal against the sentence in the Supreme Court immediately.

Yusuf Nulwala, one of Sanjay’s three associates in the case, was given five years for having destroyed the AK-56 rifle. Kersi Adajenia was sentenced to two years on the same charge.

Mumbai blast convict moves SC

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation on the bail plea of a 64-year-old woman convicted and sentenced to five years in jail for her role in the 1993 Mumbai blasts. A bench of Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan issued notice to the CBI seeking its reply on the petition by Zaibunnisha Anwar Quazi, who had been awarded jail term in June by a special court in Mumbai. Appearing for Zaibunnisha, senior advocate Sushil Kumar pleaded to the court that his client had been convicted last November on charges of being aware of the conspiracy of the blasts but not sharing information with police. — HNS