M A I N   N E W S

Mosquitoes test Munna’s Gandhigiri
Shiv Kumar
Tribune News Service

Mumbai, August 1
Actor Sanjay Dutt spent his first night as a convict clad in a rough jail uniform, hungry and battling mosquitoes.

According to officials of Arthur Road Jail, Dutt was brought in on Tuesday evening after all formalities were completed. He was lodged inside Barrack No. 10 which houses some 30 inmates. However, late in the evening Dutt was shifted to the small Barrack No. 1 which houses members of the Dawood Ibrahim gang.

Sources said Sanjay Dutt had Pravin Mahajan, the murderer-brother of BJP leader Pramod Mahajan, as his neigbour.

Jail officials did not provide the actor with mosquito repellent since he had not made an application for the same. His lawyers are likely to move court in the matter shortly.

As a security measure, jail officials have decided to serve Sanjay Dutt food in his cell itself instead of the jail canteen.

Food in the Arthur Road Central Jail is frugal. Lunch and dinner comprises of some lumpy vegetable, four rotis, watery dal and some rice. Chicken and egg is served on weekends. Lunch time is 10.30 am and dinner is at 5.30 pm. Since Dutt was brought into the jail well into the evening, there was no food for him.

There is not much luxury in the cell either. Just a blanket to sleep on and no pillow to rest one’s head on. He will have to share a toilet with several other prisoners.

The only luxury permitted for Dutt was his full toilet kit. Jail officials have been quoted as saying that the actor brought in Molten Brown mouthwash, hair-wash and soap. He was also allowed to take in a carton of Marlboro Lights.

Officials say Sanjay Dutt will be shifted to another jail.

He will be put to work like other prisoners, assigned carpentry, cooking, farming or weaving work that is given to prisoners in Maharashtra jails.

Meanwhile, producers cancelled film premiers and shootings on Tuesday after the verdict was announced. Normal business will commence from Thursday.

Judgment papers not out
Munna’s lawyers can’t yet move SC
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 1
After failing to secure Sanjay Dutt’s release on probation, his lawyers cannot move an appeal in the Supreme Court in absence of the main reasoned judgment on conviction of 100 accused, as it has not been released by special judge P D Kode.

Sources close to Dutt family said that Sanjay’s lawyers have requested to the special judge to make the judgment available at the earliest to enable them to file an appeal.

But they were told that due involvement of such a large number of accused in the case having multiple dimensions; the detailed order could not be made available before the month-end. The judge had reportedly indicated that he would try to give it by August 26, the sources said.

So far, the judge had only provided the accused the orders of sentence, which spelled out the charges under which they were found guilty and awarded punishment accordingly. In all 12 accused, who had a major role in hatching the bomb blast conspiracy, were given death sentence and 20 awarded life imprisonment

Since Sanjay Dutt was exonerated of serious offence under TADA and sentenced under the Arms Act for possessing prohibited weapons illegally, for which even licence was not permitted to any civilian, it was difficult for him to hope for easy and early freedom even on bail.

In the absence of reasoned judgment Sanjay may be in for long jail stint, a top lawyer, who did not want to be identified, said.

Even in the apex court it would not be easy for Dutt to get the bail immediately after filing of the appeal as the court yesterday itself had given three weeks’ notice to CBI on a bail petition moved by a 64-year-old women, awarded five years sentence.

The only positive thing for him to try to press for a plea in the apex court was that he was exonerated of the TADA charges but if the CBI moves an appeal against the trial court’s findings on acquitting him of those, the actor could be in for more trouble.

Cong distances itself from Sanjay
Only Sibal, Dasmunsi back him
Anita Katyal
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 1
The Congress is speaking in disparate voices on Sanjay Dutt’s conviction by a TADA court yesterday.

The divergence of views on the six -year sentence awarded to Sanjay Dutt came through clearly when two Congress ministers, Kapil Sibal and Priyaranjan Dasmunsi, publicly supported Dutt while party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi maintained that the Congress was not required to take a stand “in an individual matter of an individual conviction.” He also dismissed Dasmunsi’s comments, saying he had spoken in his personal capacity.

Singhvi’s remarks, suggesting that the Congress is distancing itself from this case has appalled partymen, who believe they should demonstrate their solidarity with the actor since his father Sunil Dutt was a respected and dedicated party leader while his sister Priya Dutt is a Congress MP. They are surprised that nobody from Maharashtra Congress had lent a helping hand to Priya Dutt or come out with any supporting statement.

A furious Dasmunsi is learnt to have called up Singhvi and ticked him off and told him emphatically that he had spoken in his capacity as information and broadcasting minister.

A distraught Priya Dutt called up Dasmunsi and Sibal to thank them for their support and also seek their help in getting relief for her actor brother.

“The Congress must stand by Sanjay Dutt. After all, his father epitomised everything that the Congress stands for. Today when the family is in trouble, the party should be more supportive, ” declared science and technology minister Sibal, who refused to comment on the merits of the case since he had earlier been Sanjay’s lawyer.

Singhvi, on the other hand, said the fact that Sanjay’s father and sister are party members has no relation to an individual offence, which is to be decided on merit by a judge. “Neither does he need our comment, nor is there occasion for a political party to comment,” he added.

Stating that Sanjay is not a terrorist but a patriot like any other citizen, Dasmunsi said fresh parameters should be put in place for an “unintentional fault” for which he has already suffered enough. In fact, the minister went as far as to state that he would go with a garland to jail the day Sanjay is released.

This is not the first time that the Dutt family has failed to get support from the Congress in its hour of need, despite its close proximity to party president Sonia Gandhi. When Sanjay Dutt was first jailed for 16 months in 1993 under the draconian law TADA, a devastated Sunil Dutt had a tough time getting any help from his partymen.

It is part of Congress folklore that Sharad Pawar, then Maharashtra chief minister, ensured that Sanjay got no respite. Consequently, a disillusioned Sunil Dutt had turned to Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray for help.