Sanjay Dutt’s release by the book, no special rules for him: Maha govt to Bombay HC

The Maharashtra government today justified its decision to grant remission of eight months to actor Sanjay Dutt in the 1993 bomb blasts case, stating in the Bombay High Court that it was done as per rules and no special treatment was given to him.

Dutt was earlier sentenced to five years in jail for possession of arms, which were a part of the consignment used in the 1993 blasts.

The actor, who was on bail during the trial, had surrendered in May 2013 after the Supreme Court upheld his conviction.

Dutt was let out in February 2016, eight months early, on account of his good conduct while in Pune’s Yerwada prison.

The government submitted a report before a bench of Justices R M Savant and Sadhana Jadhav, saying Dutt was granted remission on account of his “good behaviour, discipline and participation in various institutional activities such as physical training, educational programmes and for performing the allotted work.”

The report was submitted in response to a public interest litigation filed by Pune resident Pradeep Bhalekar, questioning the regular paroles and furloughs granted to Dutt when he was serving his sentence.

Bhalekar, in his petition, alleged that Dutt was given undue favour by the prisons department by granting …read more