Pardon for Sanjay Dutt: Will Maha governor dispense?

Mumbai, March 26: Pardon

clamour is growing with each passing day among a section of politicians and Bollywood stars. However, many are opposing any kind of leniency shown towards the 53-year-old actor.

The Supreme Court on Thursday, March 21 upheld actor Dutt's conviction under the Arms Act, but reduced his sentence from six to five years in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case.

Media reports say expelled Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh and Lok Sabha MP from Rampur Jaya Prada have sought an appointment with Maharashtra Governor K Sankaranarayanan on Tuesday, March 26, apparently to seek pardon for actor Sanjay Dutt.

"Amar Singh and Jaya Prada have sought appointment with the Governor on Sanjay Dutt issue tomorrow," a Raj Bhawan spokesperson told on Monday, March 25.

"The meeting may take place at 6.45 pm tomorrow," he added.

The immediate course available for Dutt is to file a review petition in the Supreme Court within four weeks. If the review petition is dismissed or rejected by the court, a curative petition can also be filed.

In a curative petition the lawyer will need to present a new fact related to the case not presented before the court earlier. The last option before Dutt will be of reaching out to the Maharashtra Governor who could remit his sentence. But that would depend on the recommendation of the State government.

The apex court found the actor guilty of acquiring illegal weapons from those blamed for the bombings in Mumbai that killed 257 people and was given four weeks to surrender.

Politicians and political parties are openly expressing their views whether Bollywood superstar Sanjay Dutt should be sent to jail or not.

Earlier, several celebrities including Press Council of India Chairman Markandey Katju and actor-turned-politicians Jaya Bachchan and Shatrughan Sinha had sought pardon for Dutt.

"He (Dutt) has already been punished enough. Twenty years is almost like life imprisonment. I mean he suffered for twenty years and I think to do this to him at this time... I am going to personally meet the Governor," Bachchan had told reporters outside Parliament House recently.

However, voices against showing any leniency to the convicted criminal are also growing. BJP leader Meenakshi Lekhi and Janata Party supremo Subramanian Swamy are against pardoning Dutt in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case.

OneIndia News