1993 blast convict challenges cancellation of remission

Ibrahim Moosa Chauhan alias Baba Chauhan, the man convicted in the 1993 serial bomb blasts for supplying weapons to Bollywood actor, Sanjay Dutt, at his residence, has approached Bombay high court, challenging the decision of jail authorities to cancel his remission in the 10-year sentence.

Advocate Farhana Shah had also sought interim relief for Chauhan in the form of release from jail but the court refused to grant any. Chauhan is currently serving 10-year sentence awarded to him by a special TADA Court in Nashik jail. His application sought interim relief, praying that he be released from jail pending final decision of the court on his plea.

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice V.K. Tahilramani and Justice Shalini Phansalkar Joshi, while admitting the petition filed by Chauhan, refused to grant any interim stay and posted it for further hearing on March 21.

Chauhan was initially granted remission in his 10-year sentence on account of good conduct and was to be released in November 2015. However, the Inspector General (Prisons) recently cancelled his remission.

With Dutt, who was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment by a TADA court, due to be released next month, considering his jail term was reduced by 18 months on account of good behaviour and work done by him in prison, Chauhan claimed he was similarly placed like Dutt and had displayed good behaviour in prison like the actor.

Therefore, he be given the same facility of remission on the lines of remission granted to Dutt. Advocate Shah, in the petition, said that Chauhan was assigned the work of gardening, cleaning toilets and water tanks in Nashik jail. He accumulated remission on account of good work and behaviour. It was only because of his good conduct that he was granted 80 days’ special remission.

However, when he returned to jail after his parole expired on November 24, he was informed in a letter that his special remission had been cancelled. Chauhan claimed that this action was taken against him on the basis of a statement made by a prison inmate that he was not doing the work assigned to him in prison properly.

He had pleaded that this order of cancelling his remission be set aside but it was not considered by the authorities.

According to prosecution in the 1993 bomb blasts case, Chauhan had visited Dutt’s house along with gangster Abu Salem and others in January 1993 and delivered the AK-47 rifle to the actor.