The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed the petitions from three convicts in the 1993 Bombay blasts case seeking extension of time to surrender. The petitioners had contended that their clemency pleas were pending before President Pranab Mukherjee.
Appearing for Zaibunnisa Anwar Kazi, 70, Issaq Mohd Hajwane, 76, and Shariff Abdul Gafoor Parker alias Dadabhai, 88, senior counsel Fali Nariman told the Bench: “Power of the court is only in aid of the President’s power. At least give him (the President) the breathing space. Give him some time to act. How can he act in a week or in a day? I am only asking for time to consider,” the senior counsel said.
To this, the Bench said “he is flooded with applications” and dismissed the petitions.
Former Supreme Court judge and Press Council of India chairman Justice Markandey Katju had earlier made a representation to the President on behalf of the three convicts.
Meanwhile, Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt’s petition seeking six more months to surrender in the Bombay blasts case was mentioned for urgent hearing by senior counsel Harish Salve before a Bench comprising Justice P Sathasivam and Justice M Y Eqbal.
However, Justice Sathasivam said the same Bench (Justice Sathasivam and Justice B S Chauhan) that had delivered the judgment in the Bombay blasts case would hear the matter.
The Supreme Court will take up Sanjay Dutt’s plea on Wednesday.