BOMBAY, Aug 19: A Bombay court on Monday rejected a statement by Bollywood actress Parveen Babi alleging involvement of film star Sanjay Dutt in the 1993 bomb blasts in the city.

Over 300 people were killed in the serial blasts, allegedly triggered by underworld kingpin Dawood Ibrahim.

Judge P.D. Kode of the special Bombay court that is hearing the bomb blast case rejected Babi’s statement on grounds that she had failed to turn up at court despite three summonses.

Kode said further that documents submitted by Babi in her statements to the court did not back up her claims that the actor had played a role in the bombings.

Babi had earlier alleged that she had evidence to show that Dutt was involved in the bomb blasts, in conjunction with the underworld.

In a recent interview with India’s Outlook magazine, Babi said she had evidence that Dutt was involved and that the bomb blasts were a conspiracy of Britain, the then Congress government in India and the CIA of the United States.

“A majority in the film industry have nexus with the CIA. They function as CIA’s special contractors. It is within this framework that Dutt executed the 1993 bombings conspiracy,” she said.

Dutt is one of 121 people on trial for the bombings, 39 of whom are in jail. Dutt was himself jailed for 18 months under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities ((Prevention) Act soon after the blasts in 1993. He was released on bail in 1995.

He hit the headlines again last month when police released audio tapes allegedly of his discussion with underworld gangster Chota Shakeel over a plot to kill popular star Hrithik Roshan.—AFP