Munnabhai Matinee Idol Sanjay Dutt: To surrender in time, not to seek pardon

Munnabhai fame matinee idol Bollywood star briefing the media Breaking down repeatedly, Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, who has been ordered by the Supreme Court to return to jail in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case, on Thursday said he is not seeking any pardon and will surrender within the stipulated deadline.

Amid a growing clamour for his clemency, an emotional 53-year-old Dutt broke his silence after the Apex Court upheld his conviction under the Arms Act on March 21 and gave him four weeks time to surrender.

"All I can tell you is I have not applied for pardon," said Dutt with sister and Congress MP Priya Dutt by his side at his brief media interaction during which he did not take any questions.

"There are many other people who deserve pardon. I want to tell with folded hands to the media, the honourable citizens of the country that when I am not going for pardon then there can be no debate about it," said Dutt.

The actor said he had the highest respect for the Supreme Court and will abide by all terms and conditions put forth by it.

"The honourable Supreme Court has given me time to surrender and I will surrender in that time," he said as Priya comforted him.

As Dutt has already served 18 months in jail, he would have to undergo imprisonment for three-and-a-half-years.

"I am shattered and this is the tough time in my life. With folded hands I request the media and citizens let me be at peace," he said.

Dutt was ordered by the apex court to return to prison to complete a five-year sentence after it reduced the original six-year term awarded by a TADA court which convicted him for possessing illegal firearms.

The actor had been jailed in 2005 for six years for the gun charges but only served 18 months before being released in 2007 on bail.

"These are very, very tough times in my life and in our lives. I want to thank everybody who supported us and me. I just want to tell everyone from the media that I have got very few days left and I want to finish all my work. I also have to spend time with my family," Dutt said.

It was for the first time that Dutt has ventured out of his house in suburban Bandra since the Supreme Court verdict. He made the remarks before leaving for a film shoot.

"I love my country and its citizens. I love India," he said.

Katju says he will seek pardon for Sanjay Dutt

Notwithstanding actor Sanjay Dutt's statement that he would not apply for mercy, Press Council of India (PCI) chairman Justice (retd) Markandey Katju on Thursday said that he would still go ahead and seek pardon for Dutt and 1993 Mumbai blasts case convict Zaibunnisa.

Asked about the Bollywood actor's statement that he would not apply for mercy, Katju said, "That makes no difference to me, I am going to apply for pardon to the President and to the Governor (of Maharashtra). I think he (Dutt) and Zaibunnissa both deserve pardon."

On what grounds he was demanding pardon, Katju said that "public good is one of them, there can be many other considerations like humanitarian considerations for grant of pardon."

"If you study the Articles 72 and 161 of the Constitution, they do not state that who can appeal. Section 72 provides power to the President to pardon and section 166 to the governor," he said.

"But both sections do not state that who can appeal and it is not written on what grounds pardons can be given. There could be thousands of ground for pardon," he added.

Katju also said that he had issued his appeal for Dutt without having interacted or spoken to the actor.

"I have not talked to Sanjay Dutt, I have not contacted him, he has not approached me. In my first appeal which I issued for pardon, I did it without contacting him," he said.

Dutt, 53, was ordered by the Supreme Court on March 21 to return to jail to complete a five-year sentence while woman convict 70-year-old Zaibunnisa Anwar Kazi's five-year imprisonment was confirmed by the apex court in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case.

Katju said, "I came to know about punishment awarded to him (Dutt) through TV. After that I went through the judgement and I felt that he has been socially boycotted for five years, it took five to six years for him to restore his career".

"No producer offered him film. (There were) no bank loans for him and every time he needed to seek court's permission before going on foreign trips," he said.

The PCI chief said that Dutt was married and had two kids.

"In those twenty years he has not done anything wrong. There could be some humanitarian perspective," Katju said.

He also said that normally the order of the President and a governor is not subject to judiciary review