Popular Indian actor Sanjay Dutt sentenced to five years in prison

A court in India today Thursday March 21st sentenced Bollywood top actor and host of India's version of the Big Brother reality-television franchise, Sanjay Dutt, to five years in jail for the illegal possession of firearms in a case connected to a series of bomb blasts that ripped through Mumbai and were one of the deadliest terror attacks in the country.

Mr. Dutt was sentenced to six years in prison in 2007 for illegal possession of weapons that were supplied to him by men subsequently convicted in the bombing. That court cleared Mr. Dutt of involvement with the bombing plot. He has denied involvement with the attacks and said he asked for the guns to protect his family.

He appealed the decision at the Supreme Court and was let out on bail in 2007. He has remained at liberty since then until today. The court reduced his sentence to five years but said the circumstances and nature of offense was so serious that Mr. Dutt cannot be released on probation. Mr. Dutt, 53 years old, already has spent a cumulative 18 months in jail on related charges.

Mr. Dutt will have to surrender within four weeks to serve the sentence, the court said.