SC allows Sanjay Dutt to go abroad for six months

Bollywood actor and Samajwadi Party General Secretary Sanjay Dutt, who is on bail in
connection with the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, was on Friday allowed by the Supreme Court to go abroad for six months for the shooting of five films.

Dutt, who has actively campaigned for the party in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, had moved the apex court with the details of his itinerary about his visit to South Africa,
Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Zambia and Namibia from June to December this year.

The titles of the five new films are -- All the Best Fun Begins, No Problem, Double Dhamal, Sankee and Indians.

Dutt, who was convicted and sentenced to six years imprisonment in the 1993 serial blasts case by a Mumbai TADA court under the Arms Act for possessing illegal weapons, has to take the permission of the apex court before leaving the country. The court has admitted his appeal against the conviction.

The actor, whose conviction and sentence was not stayed by the court for contesting the Lok Sabha polls from Lucknow, is on bail since November 27, 2007 and has been
allowed in the past to go abroad for his business commitments but with certain conditions.

He has to surrender his passport to the CBI's Special Task Force, Mumbai, on his return from abroad by January 5, 2010.