Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt has been summoned to the Special Tada Court Friday morning, but the actor would perhaps have to spend his 48th birthday on Sunday in nervous anticipation. There are indications that his verdict could be pushed to next week.

A verdict on Friday would perhaps have brought some relief to the actor. When he turns 48 on July 29, he would have at least known his fate. But, chances are that the Lage Raho Munnabhai star would have to wait a few days longer, and instead spend his birthday biting nails in his Pali Hill apartment in tony Bandra.

On Wednesday, the Special Tada Court hearing the 1993 serial blasts case completed a verdict on all 17 convicts who had actually planted the RDX-laden scooters and cars at 15 different locations on Mar 12, 1993. 12 of these pwerful bombs exploded killing 257 and injuring 712. Wednesday's verdict brought the total number of sentences in this 14-year-old terror case to 92, leaving on Dutt and his three friends, and four members of Tiger Memon's family to be sentenced.

Special Tada Court Judge Pramod Kode has summoned all eight remaining convicts including Dutt to the court on Friday morning. But, the court may take up the sentencing of the four Memon family members, at least three of whom are likely to get death sentences. Since the anti-terror court normally does not work on Saturdays, this could push the verdict on Dutt to Tuesday.

Bollywood insiders say Dutt has been nervous through the week as his date with the court approaches, and has been rather quiet on the sets of friend Sanjay Gupta's Alibaug. But, a verdict on Tuesday could prove to be a silver lining for Ganesh-devotee Dutt. He could pay a visit to the Siddhivinayk Temple on way to the court.

The actor, also an ardent devotee of Sai Baba of Shirdi, had visited the Siddhivinayak Temple before his conviction day last November, and had thanked the god when the court acquitted him of the "terrorist" tag. He was, however, found guilty for possessing a mass assault weapon like AK-56 rifle.

Legally speaking, probation is a provision in the law aimed at reforming teenage first-time offenders. The aim is to ensure that youngsters below the age of 21, who may have committed a lesser offence at an immature age, and if sent to the jail, he could interact with hardcore criminals, and turn into a proper criminal. Dutt was 34 when he possessed the AK-56 rifle. He claims he felt the need for a weapon because his MP father was being threatened by right-wing goons during 92-93 Mumbai riots.

If Judge Kode grants relief to Dutt under the Probation of Offender's Act, 1959, it could set a legal precedent. Alistair Pereira, the 21-year-old son of a Bandra businessman who rammed his Toyota into 15 sleeping construction workers in an weekend accident, has already tried to use this same section to get relief from courts.

Earlier this year, a session court acquitted Pereira of the serious charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and awarded him simple imprisonment for six months for rash driving after the city police failed to provide adequate evidence. It caused a furore, leading to the Bombay High Court intervention, and re-opening of the case.