Could Sanjay Dutt have prevented the 1993 Mumbai blasts? Here’s what prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam says

Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt’s name once again finds itself back in the headlines after public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam revisited the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts case. In a recent interview, Nikam revealed that while Dutt was not directly involved in the blasts, his fascination with weapons was what led him down a dangerous path, one that ultimately resulted in his imprisonment under the Arms Act.

Speaking in a conversation with journalist Shubhankar Mishra on YouTube, Nikam explained that Sanjay Dutt’s “craze for weapons” had drawn him into contact with underworld figures like Abu Salem. “Personally, I believe that he was crazy about weapons. That’s why he had one AK-56 rifle. Before the blasts, Abu Salem brought a tempo full of weapons. Sanjay saw it, kept one rifle for himself, and returned the rest,” Nikam said.

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The prosecutor went on to stress that Dutt had no prior knowledge of the planned serial blasts that rocked Mumbai on March 12, 1993, killing 257 people and injuring over 1,400. However, Nikam asserted that Dutt could have played a pivotal role in preventing the tragedy. “If he had informed the police about the tempo full of weapons, the police would have followed it up and caught the accused. Sanjay didn’t know about the blasts, but just reporting it could have averted the entire attack,” he added.

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Not his first offence, says Nikam

During the interview, Nikam also dismissed claims that Dutt’s possession of the AK-56 rifle was a first-time offence. He disclosed that the actor had previously procured a 9mm pistol from Dawood Ibrahim’s close aide. “When his lawyer argued that it was his first offence, I opposed it. I told the court that he had already bought a weapon illegally before, so he couldn’t be given leniency,” Nikam said.

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Bal Thackeray’s intervention and Bollywood’s support

Recalling the political pressure surrounding the high-profile case, Nikam mentioned that late Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray had personally intervened after being approached by Dutt’s father, veteran actor and politician Sunil Dutt. “Thackeray met me and said, ‘He is innocent, let him go.’ He was a very kind-hearted man who always believed people who came to him for help,” Nikam recalled.

The prosecutor also described how the film industry rallied behind Dutt after his conviction. “After the court declared Sanjay guilty, Bollywood launched a campaign, ‘Baba, you are not guilty, we are with you.’ I told the press, ‘I will prosecute, you are trying to pressurise the judiciary.’ After that, Bollywood went silent,” he said.

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Dutt’s conviction and release

Sanjay Dutt was arrested in 1993 for illegal possession of arms but was later acquitted of all charges related to the bomb blasts in 2007. However, he was sentenced to six years in prison under the Arms Act. The actor completed his sentence in 2016, marking the end of a long legal battle that had shadowed his career for decades.