Mumbai: In keeping with a judicial directive, film actor Sanjay Dutt and 86 other accused in 1993 bomb blast trial would appear before a special court on March 3, even as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has geared up to meet the deadline for producing 34 absconding accused in this case.

The accused, who have been booked under Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA), are facing the charge of participating in the conspiracy to trigger off a series of explosions in the metropolis in 1993.

On certain conditions, a special court had exempted Dutt and 86 other accused till March 3 and directed CBI to produce the absconding accused by March 10.

Designated judge P D Kode fixed March 10 as the deadline for producing the absconding accused before the court. He asked CBI to inform the court about the prospects of producing the absconding, so that the date for judgement could be fixed.

CBI was warned that after March 10 they would not be allowed to add any name to the existing list of accused as the trial had reached its fag end.

CBI succeeded in arresting accused Ejaz Pathan, who had been absconding since the explosions shattered the city on March 12, 1993. He was in Dubai and deported recently. Ejaz was arrested at the airport on February 20. He has reportedly given CBI certain clues about other absconding accused.

About 34 accused, including Dawood Ibrahim, Tiger Memon, Anees Ibrahim, Mohammed Dossa and Javed Chikna, are absconding and believed to be hiding in Pakistan.

CBI has already alerted Interpol about other absconding accused. Red corner notices and non-bailable warrants against them had been issued earlier.

PTI