IANS

New Delhi, Nov 27: The Supreme Court Tuesday granted bail to Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt who has been sentenced to jail for six years after being convicted for possessing firearms illegally in connection with the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts.

A bench comprising Justices K G Balakrishnan, R V Ravindran and J M Panchal granted bail to the actor who has been serving his sentence in Pune's Yerwada Jail.

Dutt had moved the apex court on Oct 25, challenging his conviction for possessing illegal arms in the run up to the 1993 Mumbai serial bombings that followed riots in the city in the wake of the demolition of the historic Babri mosque at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh.

Challenging his conviction, Dutt had also sought his release on bail pending a decision on his plea.

Dutt has challenged his conviction on the ground that he was forced to make a confession about possession of illegal firearms under duress by the police and had retracted his confession during the trial.

On July 31, the actor was sentenced to a six-year jail term after being found guilty.

He was first taken into custody July 31. However, Judge P.D Kode of the Mumbai anti-terror court had failed to hand him a copy of the judgement as well as to other convicts.

The Supreme Court on Aug 20 granted him succour, freeing him temporarily along with five others till delivery of the copies of the judgement.

The Mumbai court was able to give a copy on Oct 22 and Dutt was taken into custody again.

After granting bail to Dutt on Tuesday, the bench began hearing the bail pleas of 25 others who were also among those convicted in the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts case. Some more convicts are likely to be granted bail Tuesday.