Dutt unwell, did not appear in court

MUMBAI: Actor Sanjay Dutt, convicted for illegal possession of arms in the 1993 serial blasts case, did not appear before the special TADA court on Friday on account of illness, his lawyer said.

"He is suffering from high fever and vomiting and we will be informing the court that he will be unable to appear before it on account of illness," Farhana Shah, Dutt's counsel said.

The court, which is to begin sentencing the 100 people convicted for their role in the blasts, had ordered all of them to be present before it on Friday.

Dutt was convicted under the Arms Act for the illegal possession of an assault rifle and a pistol but acquitted under the anti-terror law TADA.

He has applied for exemption from a prison term under the Probation of Offenders Act. The court will give its ruling on Dutt's plea during the course of sentencing.