In a reprieve for Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt lodged in a Pune jail for over a month, the Supreme Court on Tuesday granted him bail in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case.Besides Dutt, who has been sentenced to six years imprisonment by a TADA court in Mumbai, 17 other convicts were also granted bail.Custom Officer Somnath Thapa, who has been give a life term, was granted bail on medical ground as he is suffering from cancer.However, in the case of other life convicts, a Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan said it was not inclined to consider their bail plea at this stage.The court adopted a common parameter that those convicts who have already undergone half the period of sentence awarded by the trial court, were eligible for bail.It said all those who have been granted bail have to furnish a bond subject to the satisfaction of the Special TADA court and their passports would remain deposited.Those granted bail have to report to the Special Task Force of CBI, Mumbai once in a month, the court said.It also asked its Registrar to intimate the order of bail to the Special TADA judge Mumbai by email.Expressing relief over the court's order, the actor's sister and Congress MP Priya Dutt told reporters in Mumbai that "We are happy that he would come here soon.""We hope for a better tomorrow and want to thank all who have supported us to overcome the situation," she added.Dutt, in his plea, has contended that during the 14 years of trial he has already undergone one-fourth of the six-year jail term awarded in the case.The actor had remained in jail for 18 months during the trial before he was granted bail by the apex court.Dutt was convicted on November 28, 2006 and the quantum of punishment was pronounced on July 31, 2007, following which he was taken into custody.However, he was granted interim bail on August 20 on the condition that on getting a copy of his conviction judgement, he would surrender before the TADA court.Dutt, who got a copy of the judgement on October 22, complied with the bail condition and surrendered before being taken to Yerrawada jail in Pune.
