The special Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Act) court that exempted actor and Mumbai serial blasts convict Sanjay Dutt from appearance on Friday due to ill health, has summoned him on May 25.
However, his lawyer Farhana Shah told PTI the court would not necessarily decide on Dutt's application seeking relief under the Probation of Offenders Act on that day. "The court has merely asked him to be present on Friday," she said.
Besides Dutt some other 1993 serial blasts convicts have sought relief under POA, which empowers a court to release a person who has been found guilty of a crime that is not punishable by a life or death sentence.
Relief under POA is subject to a convict's conduct and fulfilling some conditions.
Judge Pramod Kode has asked for the probation officer's report with regard to some of the POA applications without specifying their names. The court has said it will decide on these pleas during sentencing that began on May 18.
Meanwhile, the court is expected to award sentences on Monday to four police constables who were convicted for allowing passage of RDX and arms to Mumbai prior to the blasts, Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said.
The four, Ashok Muleshwar, P M Mahadik, Ramesh Mali and S Y Pashilkar, were held guilty under TADA for abetting a terrorist act.
Section 3 (3) of TADA, under which they have been convicted, provides for a minimum imprisonment of five years, which may be extended to life.
On Friday, five convicts held guilty under the Customs Act for helping in smuggling of arms and ammunition were sentenced to 3-year rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 25,000.
At least 257 people were killed and over 700 injured in a series of blasts in Mumbai on March 12, 1993.
