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on 2006/11/28 3:37:14
Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt was convicted on Tuesday of weapons charges in connection with a series of 1993 bomb blasts in India's worst terror attack.
At the same time, Dutt was found not guilty of the more serious conspiracy charges in the 1993 bombings that killed 257 in Mumbai and wounded hundreds more.
The Bollywood star had been charged with conspiracy, illegal possession of arms and trying to destroy evidence connected with an attack which shook India's financial and film capital.
"During the reasoning, I have not found him to be a terrorist or a destructor," judge Pramod Kode told a crowded courtroom, according to the the Reuters news service.
Dutt was convicted of possessing an AK-56 rifle and a 9mm pistol under India's Arms Act.
The actor's conviction can be appealed to India's Supreme Court and his sentencing is scheduled for a later time. Sentences will be handed after all the verdicts are delivered, expected to take two more weeks.
The conviction could attract a sentence of up to three years for Dutt. But the popular Bollywood already has served 18 months in jail during the investigation. He was out on bail at the time of the court's ruling.
'You are not a terrorist'
"I have said you are not a terrorist," the judge said again, this time addressing the sombre-looking actor who was in the court room wearing a red and grey shirt and blue jeans.
Dutt, who was accompanied by friends, asked the judge if he could be heard for two minutes. Kode told him he would get a chance to speak later.
Until Monday, the court in one of the world's longest running trials had found 86 people, mostly Muslims, guilty among the 123 accused in the blasts, according to Reuters. The bombings were blamed on India's most wanted man, Dawood Ibrahim, believed to be in Pakistan.
Police say Ibrahim ordered the 1993 bombings to avenge the razing of a 16th century mosque by Hindu zealots in 1992, according to news services. Ibrahim and his top associates have not faced trial.
Of the 123 defendants, 11 died during the trial, 36 are in jail and the rest are out on bail. Another 37 suspects, have been declared "absconders" or fugitives, according to Reuters.
Sanjay Dutt initially said he had bought an automatic rifle from gangsters accused in the bombings to protect his family. He later retracted the statement.
In a television interview earlier this month, the 47-year-old Dutt said he hadn't been able to work for the past three months as he was unable to concentrate, according to reports from The Associated Press.
In news service reports, Dutt called the case "the most important situation of my life."
source:CNN
At the same time, Dutt was found not guilty of the more serious conspiracy charges in the 1993 bombings that killed 257 in Mumbai and wounded hundreds more.
The Bollywood star had been charged with conspiracy, illegal possession of arms and trying to destroy evidence connected with an attack which shook India's financial and film capital.
"During the reasoning, I have not found him to be a terrorist or a destructor," judge Pramod Kode told a crowded courtroom, according to the the Reuters news service.
Dutt was convicted of possessing an AK-56 rifle and a 9mm pistol under India's Arms Act.
The actor's conviction can be appealed to India's Supreme Court and his sentencing is scheduled for a later time. Sentences will be handed after all the verdicts are delivered, expected to take two more weeks.
The conviction could attract a sentence of up to three years for Dutt. But the popular Bollywood already has served 18 months in jail during the investigation. He was out on bail at the time of the court's ruling.
'You are not a terrorist'
"I have said you are not a terrorist," the judge said again, this time addressing the sombre-looking actor who was in the court room wearing a red and grey shirt and blue jeans.
Dutt, who was accompanied by friends, asked the judge if he could be heard for two minutes. Kode told him he would get a chance to speak later.
Until Monday, the court in one of the world's longest running trials had found 86 people, mostly Muslims, guilty among the 123 accused in the blasts, according to Reuters. The bombings were blamed on India's most wanted man, Dawood Ibrahim, believed to be in Pakistan.
Police say Ibrahim ordered the 1993 bombings to avenge the razing of a 16th century mosque by Hindu zealots in 1992, according to news services. Ibrahim and his top associates have not faced trial.
Of the 123 defendants, 11 died during the trial, 36 are in jail and the rest are out on bail. Another 37 suspects, have been declared "absconders" or fugitives, according to Reuters.
Sanjay Dutt initially said he had bought an automatic rifle from gangsters accused in the bombings to protect his family. He later retracted the statement.
In a television interview earlier this month, the 47-year-old Dutt said he hadn't been able to work for the past three months as he was unable to concentrate, according to reports from The Associated Press.
In news service reports, Dutt called the case "the most important situation of my life."
source:CNN
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