By Indo-Asian News Service
Mumbai: A special court trying the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts cases Wednesday started the process of calling reports from probation officers for the convicts who are seeking benefits under the Probation of Offenders Act (PoA).
Meanwhile, judge Pramod Kode, of the special court set up under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, declared that he would start delivering the final verdict from Friday.
“I have said that sentencing will start from May 18 and I will start on that day,” Kode said addressing the prosecution and defence teams here.
Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt and his three friends – Yusuf Nulwala, Rusi Mulla and Kersi Adajenia – have filed applications seeking relief under section for of PoA.
Dutt, was, however, not present in the court Wednesday as he was exempted from personal appearance.
Several other convicts have also submitted a letter signed by them jointly to Kode and urged that they should be given parity with Dutt and be offered benefits of PoA.
Meanwhile, all the 100 convicts – including nine others who had been granted time to surrender till further orders – has been asked to be present in the court Friday. The sentencing would go on for a few weeks, TADA court sources said.