MUMBAI, 28 August 2007 — Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, convicted of keeping illegal arms and sentenced to six years, will have to surrender on Sept. 27 on expiry of his bail and will probably have to return to jail, a court official said yesterday.
The macho actor began serving his sentence on July 31 — for buying illegal arms from gangsters linked to India’s worst-ever bombings in 1993 that killed 257 people in Mumbai — but was bailed last week after his lawyers petitioned the Supreme Court against his conviction and sought his release until that appeal was heard. 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 the actor until the lawyers got a copy of the verdict.
“He will be served a copy of the judgment on Sept. 27,” said V. Gawas, registrar of the special anti-terrorism court.
Meanwhile, senior police officers have accused Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister R R Patil of politicizing an incident in which police officers shook hands and hugged Dutt as he was being released on bail.
Patil who holds the portfolio from the Nationalist Congress Party quota in the Congress led Democratic Front government, said the policemen violated the rules of conduct, which strictly prohibits police officers from socializing with convicts. Constable Rajendra Kalekar who hugged the actor, was suspended and departmental action was taken against 9 other officers.
“The NCP is upset that the Congress party is extending its full support to the actor. The Congress party has supported the actor’s sister Priya Dutt and a Congress MP is even seeking help from Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to pardon the actor,” said a senior officer.
NCP leaders have also objected to the open support given to Dutt by Baba Siddiqui, a state Congress minister, at the time of his arrest and later when he was released on bail.
“If police officers are going to be punished for handshaking with the Dutt, then action should also be taken against Baba Siddiqui, who as a public servant, is also guilty for being in the front of supporting the actor and greeting him on his release,” said a senior NCP leader.
