Mumbai: Bollywood- actor Sanjay Dutt is released from Yerawada jail, Pune, today on 25th day of this February after considering his completion of sentence for his role in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts. He said in brief that “there is no easy walk to freedom, my friends”, at Pune airport.
However, the release of actor is challenged before the honourable High Court of Bombay by a Social worker, stating in the plea that his release was reflective of the inequality in the treatment of prisoners in the jail. Moreover, he also sought to maintained in the plea that the preferential treatment has been given to Sanjay Dutt throughout his term in prison.
This plea was sought, a day ahead of actor’s release from the Pune jail. And it is filed by the Chairperson of Samajik Karyakarta Saurakhan Samiti- Pradeep Bhalekar, as Public Interest Litigation- PIL on 24th day of February, i.e. yesterday. Moreover, this plea is also pointing out that there were around 27 thousands and more other prisoners in the State who also deserve to be released on the same grounds like those which are used in the Sanjay Dutt’s case. Also, as per plea sought in this petition, the concerned bollywood actor, because of furlough and parole has already benefited a lot.
Sanjay Dutt has spent 42 months behind the bars, for his being held as conviction for illegal possession of an automatic assault rifle, a part of cache of arms and ammunition which had landed ahead of the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, where around 257 people were killed. Moreover, he was given remission i.e. the reduction of sentence, on the ground of his good conduct and has spent Eighteen months in jail, as per the Maharashtra Home Department.
It is also seen in the issue, that the Social activist- Mr. Bhalekar had also written a letter with the similar context to the presiding Chief Justice- V. K. Tahilaramani on 7th day of January, 2016, a day after to which, the Sanjay Datt’s release was announced by the jail superintendent.
Moreover, the PIL is also mentioning that the concerned remission allowed in favour of Sanjay Dutt is ‘wrong’ and ‘illegal’. And the representative advocate to petitioner in the PIL- Nitin Satpute asked a query that what is the good behaviour and conduct which was considered as a ground for allowing remission and reducing his sentence?.
Adv. Faim Khalilkhan Pathan