Sanjay Dutt's House Sealed over Producer's Allegations

Mumbai, Dec 28 (PTI): The Bombay High Court has ordered attachment of two properties of film actor Sanjay Dutt in keeping with an arbitration award passed by the Indian Motion Pictures Producers' Association in January this year on a financial dispute between him and producer Shakeel Noorani.

Noorani has claimed Rs 2.03 crore from the actor which includes Rs 50 lakh paid to him as signing amount for an under-production film 'Jaan Ki Baazi'.

In case of financial disputes of this nature, there is an agreement between Cine Artists Association and IMPPA which provides for arbitration. The agreement empowers IMPPA to act as an arbitrator and pass an award.

IMPPA applied for execution of a decree recently and the execution department of the High Court issued warrant under Civil Procedure Code against Sanjay last week, following which bailiff of Sheriff's court today pasted notices of attachment of properties on the premises of the actor, Noorani's lawyer Ashok Sarogi told reporters.

Sarogi said the actor has an option to pay the money claimed by the producer within 30 days or else his properties (residence and office) would be auctioned. He can challenge this order in High Court. So far, Sanjay has not challenged IMPPA's arbitration order and hence notices of attachment of properties were pasted on his premises, the lawyer said.

Sanjay's lawyer Satish Maneshinde told PTI that "we will have a look at the decree execution order of the High Court and also the IMPPA award and then decide on appropriate action to be taken in this matter."

The properties mentioned in the execution order of the High Court are his residence in Imperial Heights building at Pali Hill, Nargis Dutt Road, Bandra and his office, Sanjay Dutt Productions, Mayfair Melody at Tagore Road in Santacruz.

According to IMPPA award, Noorani had paid Rs 50 lakh to Sanjay for his film in October 2001. The film is 50 per cent complete because the actor failed to give dates for the shooting as a result of which the producer suffered financial loss of Rs 1.53 crore payable to the financiers, a copy of the award, available to PTI, said.

IMPPA had called Sanjay for hearing him but the arbitration committee adjourned the case twice on his request. On another occasion, he failed to appear, the award said.