Court summons Sanjay Dutt in threat case filed by producer

Mumbai: A local court has summoned actor Sanjay Dutt on 1 March in a criminal case filed by producer Shakeel Noorani who has alleged he got threat calls from the underworld at Dutt’s behest. However, actor’s lawyer Rizwan Merchant denied that threat calls were made at Dutt’s behest and said they would put up their case in the court. Both the producer and actor are at loggerheads over an issue in which the actor disbanded Noorani’s film Jaan Ki Baazi half way in 2002 and refused to shoot further. Dutt also refused to return part payment of Rs 50 lakh to the producer, according to Noorani. [caption id=“attachment_622990” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Sanjay Dutt. Reuters[/caption] Acting on Noorani’s complaint, the Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court at suburban Andheri last week asked Dutt or his lawyer to appear before it to answer the allegations of criminal intimidation levelled against him by the producer. Merchant confirmed having received the court summons. “Yes, we have received the summons,” he added. Noorani had earlier approached Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association, which had directed Dutt to pay Rs 2 crore to Noorani for the loss incurred during the shooting. As the filmstar did not pay the money, Noorani approached the Bombay High Court and prayed for execution of the order passed by IMPPA. In 2010, the High Court ordered attachment of two properties of the 53-year-old actor. Noorani alleged that soon after the HC order, he started getting threatening phone calls which were traced to Dubai and Karachi after which he filed a criminal case. Dutt’s lawyer refuted allegations that the calls had been made at his client’s behest and claimed he had been falsely implicated. Merchant said calls were made in 2011 and Noorani may have engineered the calls after visiting Pakistan. PTI