I met Dawood Ibrahim once: Sanjay Dutt

Indo-Asian News Service | Wednesday, August 15, 2012 (New Delhi)

Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt Tuesday admitted meeting underworld don Dawood Ibrahim once at a dinner that was hosted by him in Dubai. The actor was answering a question in the Supreme Court.

Read: Not linked to 1993 blasts: Sanjay Dutt to Supreme Court

He responded in the negative to a court's query if he had any friendship with the don.

Senior counsel Harish Salve, appearing for Sanjay Dutt in a case related to illegal possession of a rifle, answered the questions raised by the court about his relationship with the underworld don wanted in India in connections with his key role in the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts.

As Salve was reading Dutt's confessional statement, given to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the wake of his arrest in 1993 bomb blasts, there was a mention of the actor having met Dawood Ibrahim.

This prompted the court to inquire into his relationship, if any, with Dawood.

To this Salve said that Dutt had met the don in Dubai where he had hosted a dinner. Salve told the court that the actor went to the dinner along with two film producers.

The court was told that the said dinner related to the period prior to the 1993 serial bomb blasts and that was the only occasion that the actor met the don, suspected to be in Pakistan.

The court's query came during the hearing on an appeal file by Sanjay Dutt challenging a trial court verdict convicting him under the Arms Act and awarding him sentence of six years for possessing weapons illegally.