Sanjay Dutt moves SC, wants his conviction stayed

Actor Sanjay Dutt on Thursday filed a petition in the Supreme Court, seeking suspension of his conviction in connection with the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Dutt, who recently joined Samajwadi Party and is the party nominee from Lucknow parliamentary seat, was convicted under the Arms Act and was sentenced to six-year imprisonment.

The actor was absolved of the serious offence under the TADA.

Dutt, 50, who was convicted and sentenced to six years imprisonment under the Arms Act for possessing illegal weapons in connection with the blasts case, was granted bail after he filed an appeal against the TADA court's verdict.

While granting bail to the actor on November 27, 2007, the court had directed him to surrender his passport and asked him not to leave the country without its permission.

The Bollywood star, who was sentenced in July 2007, had spent 18 months in jail during the pendency of the trial.

The actor had in the first week of February got Supreme Court's permission to extend his foreign visit by two weeks to fulfil his commitments as United Nations' Goodwill Ambassador on malnutrition.