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Film star Sanjay Dutt, accused in the 1993 bomb blasts case, on Tuesday denied his involvement in the serial blasts and refuted the Central Bureau of Investigation charge that he possessed an AK-56 rifle which he destroyed to escape detection by the police.
The actor appeared before designated TADA Judge P D Kode accompanied by his lawyers Satish Maneshinde, Rajendra Singh and Farhana Shah.
Dutt denied that film producer Samir Hingora and Ibrahim Moosa Chavan had visited his residence in a car laden with arms and ammunition prior to the 1993 explosions.
Dutt's lawyers said the confession of police constable Pandharinath Shinde in this regard was incorrect.
The CBI has alleged that Dutt accepted an AK-56 rifle from Hingora.
When Samir Hingora and his associate Hanif Kadawala were arrested after the blasts, they told the police about the gun in Dutt's house.
The CBI has alleged that the actor, who was then away in Mauritius shooting for a film, instructed his friends on telephone to destroy the weapon.
On his statement of confession recorded by the police, Sanjay's lawyers argued that the actor had not made any voluntary disclosure about his involvement in the blasts before Inspector Valli Shetty or DCP Vishnu Bishnoi or anyone else.
The defence lawyers said Sanjay had seen third-degree methods employed by the police on other accused in custody and was terribly frightened.
Sanjay's lawyers cited portions from cross-examination of DCP Bishnoi to show that his statement of confession was not voluntary.
PTI
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