NEW DELHI: Today, 10 May, in the Supreme Court, actor Sanjay Dutt submitted his plea to review his case where he has been convicted to serve a jail term of 5 years. It was rejected.

Previously, a bench of judges hearing the case, delivered the verdict on 21 March, earlier this year. He was granted a relief of four weeks to surrender. He used the time to complete some of his film assignments. He has spent a year and a half in jail before. The remaining three and a half years is his jail term that he has to serve from 16 May.

Now with the dismissal of his plea review today, the actor can file a curative petition. Its his one last chance to try again before 16 May. After that, his only hope is to apply for a mercy petition to the President of India. If that happens, and he is given a pardon, it will shake the present government of the country which is already facing flak for being lenient with his case.

The apex court has also rejected the similar pleas filed by other six convicts – Yusuf Mohsin Nulwalla, Khalil Ahmed Sayed Ali Nazir, Mohamed Dawood Yusuf Khan, Shaikh Asif Yusuf, Muzammil Umar Kadri and Mohd Ahmed Shaikh.

On 17 April, the Supreme Court had granted Dutt, 53, four weeks time to surrender. The apex court had on March 21 upheld his conviction in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts. The actor’s close links to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and others with the involvement of Pakistan’s ISI was investigated.

However, the apex court has reduced his six-year jail-term to five. The TADA court in 2006, had ruled out his release on probation saying the “nature” of his offence was “serious”.

Dutt is booked by the TADA court for illegal possession of a 9 mm Pistol and a AK-56 rifle which was in a consignment of weapons and explosives brought to India for serial blasts that killed 257 people and injured over 700.