Mumbai, Mar 21 : Sanjay Dutt, the man who played the Khalnayak (villain) roles in many films, badly wanted an AK-56 rifle in 1993 in order to protect himself from Mumbai riots, people in the know say.
These sources said, Sanjay Dutt was concerned over the riots and his family was getting frequent threats.
Magnum Video owners Sameer Hingora And Hanif Kadawala were Sanjay's friends, and they came to meet Sanjay alongwith Abu Salem, then a close associate of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.
Abu Salem, the sources say, promised to given Sanjay some weapons for protection, and sent AK-56 rifles.
On March 12, 1993, the Mumbai serial blasts took place. Sanjay Dutt was then busy with his shooting for the film Khalnayak (famous for its item song Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai).
A month later, Sanjay Dutt's name began to appear in newspapers which were reporting the progress in investigation.
Sanjay had to rush back from Mauritius from the shooting of Aatish. He was arrested on arrival at Mumbai airport.
During interrogation, Sanjay admitted that Abu Salem had come to meet him with Sameer Hingora and Hanif Kadawala in January 1993.
Though Sanjay repeatedly said he had nothing to do with the serial blasts, when the Crime Branch confronted him with Sameer Hingora and Hanif Kadawala, he admitted that 4 AK-56 rifles and a revolver, part of the arms consignments smuggled in for the serial blasts, were given to him.
Sanjay also told investigators that he kept one AK-56 rifle and a revolver with him, and returned the wrest. He also told Crime Branch that he gave the AK-56 rifle and the revolver to his friend Yusuf Nalwala staying in Bhindi Bazar to destroy it in a foundry.
After Sanjay's revelation, police picked up Nalwala who revealed that he gave the AK56 rifle to a man, who destroyed it in his foundry, but kept the AK56 spring with him, which was recovered. This spring later became the most clinching evidence against Sanjay Dutt.
Sanjay Dutt had also returned the revolver. Crime Branch arrested Ajay Marwah and recovered the revolver from him, but the Tada court acquitted him because of lack of evidence.
Crime Branch found 53 cartridges on the seashore, and presented them as evidence against Sanjay Dutt and his friends. Later the entire case was transferred to CBI. The court gave a 6 year jail term to Sanjay under the Arms Act and acquitted him under the Tada Act.
