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Even as national television channels on Monday broadcast a taped telephonic conversation between underworld don Chota Shakeel and four film personalities -- one of them actor Sanjay Dutt -- a special court in Mumbai was moved for an order restraining the media from publishing or telecasting the tape's contents.
Film financier Bharat Shah and producer Nasim Rizvi filed a petition in the court of Designated Judge A P Bhangale objecting to the print and electronic media reproducing the contents of a tape that has been submitted in the court as evidence.
A case of use of underworld funds to finance films against Shah and Rizvi is being heard in Judge Bhangale's court. The court had heard the tape -- submitted by the prosecution as evidence -- on July 25.
Besides Dutt, the 45-minute cassette, according to the prosecution, has filmmakers Harish Sughand, Sanjay Gupta and Mahesh Manjrekar talking in detail about films to underworld don Chhota Shakeel. The conversation, the court was told, was recorded on November 14, 2000.
Defence lawyers S N Chimande, Sayaji Nangre and Shrikant Shivde told the court that the tapes revealed the identity of the witnesses even though Section 19 of MCOCA, under which Shah and others have been booked, provides that the identity of witnesses be kept secret.
Judge Bhangale has directed prosecution lawyer Rohini Salian to file her reply on Tuesday.
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