TADA court allows Dutt to visit Pune temple

MUMBAI: A TADA court has allowed actor Sanjay Dutt, accused in ’93 bomb blast case, to visit Pune for three days from October 22 to offer prayers in Balaji and Dagdu Seth Ganesh temples.

Dutt is awaiting verdict in ’93 bomb blast case. The court has pronounced judgement on involvement of 55 accused and the actor’s turn is expected to come after Diwali vacations.

On a plea made by his lawyer Farhana Shah, the designated judge PD Kode on Friday allowed the actor to visit the temples.

The court also permitted Dutt to visit Delhi on October 25 and 26 to meet his ailing lawyer Rajendra Singh who argued the case after the recording of evidence.

However, the court warned Sanjay to refrain from making contact with absconding accused in this case and also asked him to file a detailed programme of his visit to Pune and Delhi with the registrar.

Earlier, the actor had made a similar plea to visit Pune and Delhi but the court had refused him permission as it was delivering verdict. Sanjay, for the second time, pleaded that he be allowed to go as the court was closed for Diwali holidays till October 29.

Dutt is charged with possessing an AK-56 rifle and destroying it with the help of friends. He has, however, denied the charges and also withdrawn his confession. Two witnesses have also turned hostile.

It is the case of CBI that co-accused Baba Musa Chohan, Samir Hingora and Hanif Kadawala had gone to Dutt’s Bandra residence here at the instance of prime conspirator Anees Ibrahim and delivered weapons to the actor. Sanjay allegedly retained one AK-56 rifle and returned the rest which were then delivered at the house of co-accused Zebunissa Kazi.

Dutt is also charged with destroying the weapon with the help of his friends — Yusuf Nullwala, Ajay Marwah, Kersi Adajania and Rusi Mulla. All of them have been granted bail.

CBI alleged that Sanjay was shooting in Mauritius when he learnt about his complicity from media reports. He allegedly asked his friends to go to his house and destroy the weapon. Later, the rifle was destroyed in a foundry.