Not a day of special remission given to Dutt: Maha Home Dept

Not a single day of "special remission" was given to actor Sanjay Dutt in the 1993 serial blasts case and the Maharashtra government is ready to defend in the Bombay High Court its action of releasing him early, a Home department official said on Wednesday.

"Sanjay Dutt's release is exactly as per the rules and jail manual, just like a common prisoner. Not a single day of special remission has been awarded to him. He has been treated as an ordinary prisoner all along," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The Bombay High Court had on June 12 asked the state government some searching questions and sought justification for its its decision to grant the actor early release from prison.

The court has directed the state government to file an affidavit stating what parameters were considered and the procedures followed while deciding that Dutt deserved leniency.

"Cases involving high profile inmates are especially sensitive considering intense scrutiny they are subjected to.

There is no possibility that even an iota of favouritism was shown to him. Nobody would take the risk," the official said.

The official said that the government is ready to defend its stand in the Court.

"The prisons department has already submitted its affidavit on the actor's release. The Court has asked for more details, which we will provide," he said. "No case has been registered against him of default, indiscipline while he was in jail. There was no adverse report from police as well when he was out of the jail," he said.