Actor Sanjay Dutt on Monday sought a six-month extension to surrender in the 1993 Bombay blasts case. The Supreme Court had given him a month — till April 18 — to surrender to undergo his remaining punishment of three-and-a-half years.
Besides Sanjay Dutt, three other accused in the 1993 Mumbai blasts have also sought stay on their surrender. Citing old age and the fact that a pardon petition had been filed on their behalf before the President, the three petitioners — Zaibunisa Ahmed Kazi, Issaq Mohammad Hajwane, and Sharif Abdul Gafoor — have urged the apex court to await the decision on their pardon pleas.
Senior advocate Fali S Nariman, who appeared for the three petitioners, mentioned the matter before a bench headed by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir. The Court is expected to hear the petition on Tuesday. Dutt’s application is also expected to be mentioned along with the other petitions.
Along with Zaibunisa, the other two petitioners, Sharif and Issaq, are 88 and 76 years respectively. They had separately appealed for mercy to the President on April 10. Apex court’s decision granted all the convicts bail to surrender within four weeks. Issaq and Sharif were acquitted of the conspiracy charge by the TADA court. On an appeal filed by Maharashtra Government, the apex court reversed this finding and awarded them life sentence. Sharif informed the Court that due to his advanced age and the fact that he had spent 14 years in jail, his case must be considered by the apex court.