2006年VOA标准英语-Bollywood Star Convicted of Arms Possession in

By Anjana Pasricha
New Delhi
28 November 2006

		Sanjay Dutt, second right, leaves after his appearance before court in Mumbai, 28 Nov 2006

A top Bollywood movie star has been found guilty of involvement in deadly serial¹ bomb blasts that rocked India's financial capital, Mumbai, 13 years ago. As Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi, Sanjay Dutt was convicted of arms possession but cleared of charges of terrorism in relation to the blasts.

---

The verdict was handed down Tuesday by the judge in a packed courtroom in Mumbai to a somber-looking Sanjay Dutt. And in a country that is transfixed by India's movie industry, known as Bollywood, millions watched the star's fate.

The judge ruled the popular 47-year-old actor guilty of illegally possessing arms supplied by the men who carried out serial bomb blasts that targeted Mumbai's stock exchange and commercial buildings in 1993.

But he acquitted² Dutt of the more serious charge of conspiracy³, saying "I have not found him to be a terrorist."

More than 250 people died in India's worst terrorist attacks, considered to be acts of revenge for religious riots that killed hundreds of Muslims.

One hundred and twenty-three people have been charged in the case, so far 86 have been found guilty. All of them, including Sanjay Dutt, will be sentenced later.

Dutt's offense⁴ could result in a three-year sentence but the popular action hero has already spent nearly 18 months in prison during the investigation⁵. The verdict comes at a time when the actor is riding a wave of success after a recent film turned out to be a huge hit.

Former Chief Minister of Maharashtra state, Manohar Joshi said the verdict shows that everyone is equal before the law.

Joshi says anyone who is found guilty must be punished, and the verdict should not surprise anyone.

Dutt's involvement in the serial blasts case is not the first controversy⁶ faced by the son of one of India's most famous superstar couples, Sunil Dutt and Nargis. He has fought drug addiction⁷, had a bad marriage, and been involved in a bitter custody⁸ battle for his daughter, but emerged from it all, Bollywood style, to become a top star.

Indeed there has been a wave of sympathy across the Indian movie industry for Dutt, with Bollywood expressing relief that he has been cleared of charges of involvement in terrorism.

 "He has become a much stronger person," said Arshad Warsi, who starred with Dutt in a recent film, about the actor. "He kept saying, I wish this gets over. And I can totally understand this sentiment. Thirteen years is a very long time to go through this sort of life. He will come back, he will be bigger and stronger."

The trial involving Dutt has turned into one of India's marathon criminal trials, and prompted calls for faster delivery of verdicts. Twelve of the accused in the case have died, while others have languished⁹ in jail for many years.

1 serial   

n.连本影片，连本电视节目；adj.连续的

参考例句：

• A new serial is starting on television tonight.今晚电视开播一部新的电视连续剧。
• Can you account for the serial failures in our experiment?你能解释我们实验屡屡失败的原因吗？

2 acquitted   

宣判…无罪( acquit的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（自己）作出某种表现

参考例句：

• The jury acquitted him of murder. 陪审团裁决他谋杀罪不成立。
• Five months ago she was acquitted on a shoplifting charge. 五个月前她被宣判未犯入店行窃罪。

3 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

4 offense   

n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪

参考例句：

• I hope you will not take any offense at my words. 对我讲的话请别见怪。
• His words gave great offense to everybody present.他的发言冲犯了在场的所有人。

5 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

6 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

7 addiction   

n.上瘾入迷，嗜好

参考例句：

• He stole money from his parents to feed his addiction.他从父母那儿偷钱以满足自己的嗜好。
• Areas of drug dealing are hellholes of addiction,poverty and murder.贩卖毒品的地区往往是吸毒上瘾、贫困和发生谋杀的地方。

8 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

9 languished   

长期受苦( languish的过去式和过去分词 )； 受折磨； 变得（越来越）衰弱； 因渴望而变得憔悴或闷闷不乐

参考例句：

• Our project languished during the holidays. 我们的计划在假期间推动得松懈了。
• He languished after his dog died. 他狗死之后，人憔悴了。