NEW DELHI, Aug 23 (Reuters) - Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt, jailed for six years for receiving guns from gangsters involved in the country's worst bombings, was released from prison in the western Indian city of Pune early on Thursday.

Local TV stations showed Dutt, 48, shaking hands with police officers after being freed.

The macho superstar began serving his six year sentence on July 31 -- less the 16 months he served while awaiting trial over the bomb attacks that killed 257 people in India's commercial capital of Mumbai in 1993.

Dutt's lawyers had petitioned the country's top court against his conviction and sought bail until that petition was ruled on.

But they said they could not argue the case as they were yet to get a copy of the judgment of the Mumbai court that sentenced Dutt.

The court agreed to release Dutt until the lawyers get a copy of the verdict.

AlertNet news is provided by