Sanjay Dutt alleges extortion bid by Shakeel Noorani

As Sanjay Dutt?s property is being sealed under Bombay High Court orders on a complaint by producer Shakeel Noorani, the actor on Wednesday alleged that Noorani had used underworld connections to extort money from him.

Dutt?s lawyer Rizwan Merchant make the sensational claim a day after the HC ordered that Dutt?s flat and office be sealed, which could be auctioned off if the actor failed to pay up the damages claimed by Noorani within 30 days.

The lawyer claimed that Dutt had received extortion calls from underworld on the instigation of Noorani.

The actor will be challenging the HC order and also file a defamation case against the producer.

Noorani has claimed damages up to Rs 2 crore from Dutt for walking out of his film ?Jaan ki Baazi? halfway in 2002.

He claimed that Dutt was paid Rs 50 lakh as signing amount.

The Indian Motion Pictures’ Producers Association (IMPPA) had in January arbitrated on the dispute and asked Dutt to repay the money within 90 days.

When Dutt did not respond to the order, the IMPPA decided that his Pali Hill home and his Santa Cruz office would be attached, which was on Tuesday upheld by the HC.