‘Pray for me’, says Sanjay Dutt after SC verdict
22 March 2013 6:48 AM IST
Actor Sanjay Dutt, who has to undergo three-and-a-half years in jail in the Mumbai serial blasts case, on Thursday said he believed in judiciary and would explore legal options after going through the Supreme Court verdict.
‘Whatever is the judgment of the court I will respect it. I want all to pray for me. God is great,’ was Dutt’s message to his fans, as shared by a friend who was with him in Mumbai.
‘I still believe in judiciary. My family is with me and I am still strong,’ he said in his first reaction to the judgement upholding his conviction in the 1993 case.
53-year-old Dutt, who remained confined in his 10th floor flat at 'Imperial Heights' at Pali Hill in suburban Bandra, said in an SMS to the media he would explore legal options available after going through the verdict.
Earlier, his lawyer Satish Maneshinde had said he had accepted the punishment handed down by the apex court ‘as it is’.
Maneshinde, who represented Dutt at the trial in the blasts case in the TADA court, said he had spoken to the actor who will have to undergo three-and-a-half more years in jail.
‘Sanjay Dutt told me I have accepted the judgement as it is. I have accepted it,’ Maneshinde said quoting the actor.
The lawyer said though they will pursue the legal course available, ‘I am not sure what relief he can claim’.
‘But Sanjay Dutt will abide by the apex court's order of undergoing the sentence of three-and-a-half years in letter and spirit. Three-and-a-half-years is not a long period,’ he said.
‘We have prepared him (for sentence) from the very beginning. Sanjay Dutt is a strong man and will fight for himself,’ Maneshinde said.
Eminent criminal lawyer Majid Memon, who defended many of the accused in the case, said there was only a ‘narrow’ window open for actor to seek relief after the Supreme Court judgement.
‘He has only a narrow window of approaching a larger bench or file a review petition but in that case also, I am afraid that unless stay is granted on today's order, he will have to walk into the prison,’ Memon told reporters here.
Describing as ‘unfortunate’ Dutt’s conviction, Memon said since the actor had already undergone 18 months’ imprisonment, he was expecting that the apex court, after examining evidence against him and taking into account facts and circumstances singularly applicable to him, could give him the ‘benefit of sentence undergone’.
As Dutt remained closeted with close family and friends at his home, several Bollywood personalties including director Rajkumar Hirani and actor Vidya Balan went to him to express their solidarity.
B-town personalities Apoorva Lakhia, Milan Luthria, Sujoy Ghosh, Bunty Walia, Rumi Jaffery and Congress MLA Baba Siddiqui, a close family friend, also visited him. Security at ‘Imperial Heights’ has been tightened with a police van being stationed inside the premises.
PRIYA DUTT BREAKS DOWN AFTER VERDICT
Sanjay Dutt’s sister Priya Dutt, who is also an MP from Mumbai, broke down in the Supreme Court today after the actor was sentenced to five years in jail for illegal possession of weapons in a case linked to the 1993 serial blasts in Mumbai.
‘I don’t want to speak. I don’t know what to say,’ a visibly upset Ms Dutt said when asked about her reaction to the court’s order.
The actor will have to surrender within four weeks. Since he has already spent 18 months in jail in connection with this case, he will have to serve the remaining jail term of three-and-a-half years.
VICTIM REGRETS ONE TERRORIST GIVEN DEATH PENALTY
Fifty-five-year old Kirti Ajmera, who was seriously injured in the 1993 blasts and operated upon more than 40 times, on Thursday expressed disappointment with only one terrorist in the case being awarded death sentence.
‘I wished the Supreme Court would have retained the death sentence given by the trial court to all those terrorists. But that did not happen,’ Ajmera, a builder by profession, said. Incidentally, twenty years on, Ajmera is yet to receive Rs 25,000 that he was entitled to as compensation declared by the state government. ‘Many victims like me did not receive any compensation. Supreme Court should order the government to ensure that the victims are given compensation at the earliest,’ he added. On actor Sanjay Dutt’s sentence, Ajmera said, ‘This would set an example to the high profile personalities that nobody can escape after committing a crime.’
KATJU APPEALS TO MAHA GOVERNOR TO SET DUTT FREE
Following the upholding of the sentencing of film star Sanjay Dutt to five years imprisonment by the Supreme Court in 1993 Mumbai blasts case, Press Council of India chief Justice Markandey Katju has appealed to Maharashtra Governor K Sankarnarayanan to pardon the actor. In a statement issued in New Delhi, Katju sought pardon for Dutt under Article 161 of the Constitution saying that he had not been found guilty of having played a role in the 1993 blasts and had suffered a lot. Katju said the Supreme Court, having found that Sanjay Dutt had in his possession a prohibited weapon without a licence, awarded him the minimum imprisonment which was prescribed under law. ‘Section 25 (1(A) of the Arms Act states that if a person has in his possession a prohibited weapon without a licence, he shall be awarded punishment of not less than 5 years imprisonment and not more than 10 years,’ Katju said.
‘Whatever is the judgment of the court I will respect it. I want all to pray for me. God is great,’ was Dutt’s message to his fans, as shared by a friend who was with him in Mumbai.
‘I still believe in judiciary. My family is with me and I am still strong,’ he said in his first reaction to the judgement upholding his conviction in the 1993 case.
53-year-old Dutt, who remained confined in his 10th floor flat at 'Imperial Heights' at Pali Hill in suburban Bandra, said in an SMS to the media he would explore legal options available after going through the verdict.
Earlier, his lawyer Satish Maneshinde had said he had accepted the punishment handed down by the apex court ‘as it is’.
Maneshinde, who represented Dutt at the trial in the blasts case in the TADA court, said he had spoken to the actor who will have to undergo three-and-a-half more years in jail.
‘Sanjay Dutt told me I have accepted the judgement as it is. I have accepted it,’ Maneshinde said quoting the actor.
The lawyer said though they will pursue the legal course available, ‘I am not sure what relief he can claim’.
‘But Sanjay Dutt will abide by the apex court's order of undergoing the sentence of three-and-a-half years in letter and spirit. Three-and-a-half-years is not a long period,’ he said.
‘We have prepared him (for sentence) from the very beginning. Sanjay Dutt is a strong man and will fight for himself,’ Maneshinde said.
Eminent criminal lawyer Majid Memon, who defended many of the accused in the case, said there was only a ‘narrow’ window open for actor to seek relief after the Supreme Court judgement.
‘He has only a narrow window of approaching a larger bench or file a review petition but in that case also, I am afraid that unless stay is granted on today's order, he will have to walk into the prison,’ Memon told reporters here.
Describing as ‘unfortunate’ Dutt’s conviction, Memon said since the actor had already undergone 18 months’ imprisonment, he was expecting that the apex court, after examining evidence against him and taking into account facts and circumstances singularly applicable to him, could give him the ‘benefit of sentence undergone’.
As Dutt remained closeted with close family and friends at his home, several Bollywood personalties including director Rajkumar Hirani and actor Vidya Balan went to him to express their solidarity.
B-town personalities Apoorva Lakhia, Milan Luthria, Sujoy Ghosh, Bunty Walia, Rumi Jaffery and Congress MLA Baba Siddiqui, a close family friend, also visited him. Security at ‘Imperial Heights’ has been tightened with a police van being stationed inside the premises.
PRIYA DUTT BREAKS DOWN AFTER VERDICT
Sanjay Dutt’s sister Priya Dutt, who is also an MP from Mumbai, broke down in the Supreme Court today after the actor was sentenced to five years in jail for illegal possession of weapons in a case linked to the 1993 serial blasts in Mumbai.
‘I don’t want to speak. I don’t know what to say,’ a visibly upset Ms Dutt said when asked about her reaction to the court’s order.
The actor will have to surrender within four weeks. Since he has already spent 18 months in jail in connection with this case, he will have to serve the remaining jail term of three-and-a-half years.
VICTIM REGRETS ONE TERRORIST GIVEN DEATH PENALTY
Fifty-five-year old Kirti Ajmera, who was seriously injured in the 1993 blasts and operated upon more than 40 times, on Thursday expressed disappointment with only one terrorist in the case being awarded death sentence.
‘I wished the Supreme Court would have retained the death sentence given by the trial court to all those terrorists. But that did not happen,’ Ajmera, a builder by profession, said. Incidentally, twenty years on, Ajmera is yet to receive Rs 25,000 that he was entitled to as compensation declared by the state government. ‘Many victims like me did not receive any compensation. Supreme Court should order the government to ensure that the victims are given compensation at the earliest,’ he added. On actor Sanjay Dutt’s sentence, Ajmera said, ‘This would set an example to the high profile personalities that nobody can escape after committing a crime.’
KATJU APPEALS TO MAHA GOVERNOR TO SET DUTT FREE
Following the upholding of the sentencing of film star Sanjay Dutt to five years imprisonment by the Supreme Court in 1993 Mumbai blasts case, Press Council of India chief Justice Markandey Katju has appealed to Maharashtra Governor K Sankarnarayanan to pardon the actor. In a statement issued in New Delhi, Katju sought pardon for Dutt under Article 161 of the Constitution saying that he had not been found guilty of having played a role in the 1993 blasts and had suffered a lot. Katju said the Supreme Court, having found that Sanjay Dutt had in his possession a prohibited weapon without a licence, awarded him the minimum imprisonment which was prescribed under law. ‘Section 25 (1(A) of the Arms Act states that if a person has in his possession a prohibited weapon without a licence, he shall be awarded punishment of not less than 5 years imprisonment and not more than 10 years,’ Katju said.
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