The shadow of the three AK 56 rifles and the 9 mm pistol, he is accused of illegally possessing, is now looming large on him
It’s judgment day for Sanjay Dutt
The shadow of the three AK 56 rifles and the 9 mm pistol, he is accused of illegally possessing, is now looming large on him
With actor Sanjay Dutt being summoned by the Tada Court on Tuesday, the shadow of the three AK 56 rifles and the 9 mm pistol he is accused of illegally possessing, is now pointed straight at him.
Tuesday could well bring down the curtains on the 13-year-long wait of establishing whether Dutt, 47, was in possession of the unauthorised arms and ammunition, which were part of the consignment smuggled for the 1993 serial blasts. Six others accused of either supplying the arms to Dutt or destroying the weapons have also been summoned by the Tada court.
The only odd one out in court on Tuesday will be former additional customs commissioner SK Thapa, who is charged with abetting the smuggling of arms and explosives. Among the Dutt group, it was Baba Musa Chauhan, a small-time builder, who became the first link in a winding chain that led to the actor.
On April 11, 1993, he named film producers Samir Hingora and Hanif Kadawala (deceased), who in turn confessed to having supplied three AK 56 rifles, their ammunition and hand-grenades to Dutt’s Bandra residence, along with gangster Abu Salem (trial separated). Dutt allegedly kept one rifle and its ammunition and the remaining weapons were taken away and stored in co-accused Zaibunissa’s house.
Dutt, a rising star then, was shooting for Aatish in Mauritius when his name cropped up among the blasts suspects. He immediately called up then police commissioner AS Samra and offered to return to India to clear his name. He came back on April 19 and was arrested from the airport.
Dutt later confessed to calling up his “hunting partner”, Yusuf Nulwalla, from Mauritius and asking him to pick up the weapons from his house and destroy them. Nulwalla melted the rifle in Kersi Adejania’s godown and gave him Dutt’s 9 mm pistol. Adejenia passed on the pistol to Rusi Mulla, who gave it to Ajay Marwah, who was acquitted on Monday.
Dutt retracted his confession in November 1994 stating it was made under duress.
ROLL CALL
Sanjay Dutt: Unauthorised possession of 3 AK 56 rifles, their ammunition, 9 mm pistol and hand-grenades
Yusuf Nulwalla: Collected an AK 56 rifle from Dutt’s Bandra house and destroyed it.
Kersi Adejenia: Assisted Nulwalla in destroying the rifle. Took 9 mm pistol and ammunition from Nulwalla.
Rusi Mulla: Received 9 mm pistol and cartridges from Adejenia and gave it to Ajay Marwah.
Samir Hingora: Along with Abu Salem, delivered 3 AK 56 rifles to Dutt’s Bandra’s residence
Baba Musa Chauhan: Delivered arms and ammunition to Dutt and others
Zaibunissa Kazi: Two AK 56 rifles and hand-grenades returned by Dutt were stored in her Mount Mary house by Salem and Manzoor
SK Thapa: Former additional customs collector failed to stop smuggling of arms and explosives despite having knowledge of the landing.
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