New Delhi, Nov 28: The Supreme Court registrar will be sending an email to the Special TADA judge in Mumbai today, intimating him about the apex court’s order granting bail to actor Sanjay Dutt and 16 other convicts, in order to hasten their release from jail.

This is for the first time email is being used in the history of Indian judiciary, which is likely to catch on soon.

While passing the bail order, the Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan had specifically asked the court registrar to intimate the bail order to the Special TADA judge in Mumbai by email.

Normally, it takes three to four days for a persons released from jail after setting bail, if the lower court or the jail happens to be at a distant location.

The apex court on Wednesday adopted a common parameter that those convicts who have already undergone half the period of sentence awarded by the trial court, were eligible for bail.

While granting bail to Dutt, the apex court said Dutt will have to furnish a bond subject to satisfaction of the TADA judge and his passport will remain deposited.

The apex court will now hears the case after six months, implying that Dutt's relief would be of at least that period.

Dutt had approached the apex court following his conviction for illegally keeping arms - an AK 56 rifle and a pistol, relating to the 1993 Mumbai blasts case.

Two months earlier, Dutt had received an interim bail from the apex court as he had not received a copy of his judgement.

Dutt, surrendered before the TADA court after he received a copy of the special court's judgement

Dutt has already spent nearly 16 months in prison before his release on bail in 1996. (ANI)