Post date: Mar 21, 2013 1:25:40 PM
India's Supreme Court sentences Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt to five years in jail for getting guns from gangsters involved in the 1993 bombings in Mumbai, while giving death sentence to the main accused in the bombings that killed 257 people.
NEW DELHI, INDIA (MARCH 21, 2013) (ANI) - India's Supreme Court on Thursday (March 21) sentenced Bollywood starSanjay Dutt to five years in jail for getting guns from gangsters involved in the 1993 bombings in Mumbai, while upholding death sentence to Yakub Memom, the main accused in the bombings that killed 257 people.
The apex court reduced the death sentences of ten others to life imprisonment, the defence counsel told reporters outside the court.Sriprakash Sinha, the defence counsel, said: "Out of 11 death sentences,Supreme Court has confirmed only one death sentence of Yakub Memon. Rest of the death sentences have been commuted to life term. So far life sentences are concerned, only one person, his sentence has been reduced from life to 10 years -- Ashraful Rehman. Rest of the persons, the sentence remains the same. So far other cases are concerned, including Sanjay Dutt, his sentence has been reduced from six years to five years. He has not been given relief of probation. This is the situation and all accused who have to surrender, they have to surrender within four weeks."
At least 257 people were killed in 13 blasts at several Mumbai landmarks, including the Bombay Stock Exchange, a popular cinema and two crowded markets.
Dutt's sister Priya Dutt, who has been steadfastly by her brother's side during the entire ordeal, said she was speechless after the court verdict.
"I do not know what to say right now. I really don't know," she told reporters moments after the verdict.
The bombings, police say, were carried out at the behest of gangster Dawood Ibrahim to avenge the destruction of an ancient mosque by Hindu zealots in 1992 and subsequent riots in which many Muslims were killed.
A special anti-terrorism court had convicted 100 people in the attacks.
Dutt, an immensely popular star, was found guilty of acquiring illegal weapons from those blamed for the bombings in Mumbai that killed 257 people.
He has already served 16 months in jail while awaiting trial.