Friday, December 9 2005 14:04 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: In keeping with the judicial directive, actor Sanjay Dutt and 84 other accused in 1993 bomb blasts case today (Dec 9, 2005) appeared before a TADA court even as CBI produced extradited gangster Abu Salem before the court.

The court had summoned all the blast accused to appear for amending charges filed against Salem.

Thirty other accused lodged in Central Prison were also produced before the court.

The court had ordered CBI to produce Salem for amending charges as he was earlier shown as absconding accused in the chargesheet filed by CBI in 1993.

As Salem has been extradited to India from Portugal, the chargesheet has to be amended accordingly.

In an exercise that may last the entire day, the court will today ask all accused individually whether they have any objection to the amendment of charges in this regard.

This is for the first time in TADA court that Salem and Dutt would come face to face.

Salem is charged with supplying arms and ammunition, including an AK-56 rifle to co-accused Dutt before the 1993 blasts.

Dutt has denied the charges and witnesses produced against him have also turned hostile.

However, Salem has reportedly confessed to CBI his role in the blasts but contents of his confession have not been made public, although confession has been placed before the court.