Saturday, August 25, 2007

Sanjay Dutt was treated like any other prisoner, say jail authorities

Pune/Mumbai, Aug 23: Maharashtra State prison officials have said that no special privileges were giving to Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt during his stay at Yeravada Jail, from where he was released today.

The conduct of the actor was good in the jail, they added.


"His behaviour was extremely calm. This is not the first time he has been in jail. So, he is aware of the issues that are involved. Neither did we resort to using any hard measures against him, nor did he misbehave in the jail. He was treated like any other prisoner in the jail," said S.C. Mathur, Inspector General of Police, Jails, Maharashtra.


Earlier today, Dutt, sporting a beard and a shaved head, stepped out of the jail and shook hands with police officers before leaving for his home.


Dressed in a white shirt and blue jeans, Dutt reached home, accompanied by his brother-in-law Kumar Gaurav, friend Yusuf Nalwala and lawyer Satish Maneshinde. His sister Priya Dutt hugged him.


Dutt told reporters outside his home that he was too tired to speak, but would hold a news conference later.


Dutt tried his hand at carpentry as a prison labour for which he was paid less than a dollar a day.


Dutt was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court on Monday. The release was delayed as a copy of the Supreme Court's order did not reach the jail.


His lawyers had petitioned the Supreme Court against his conviction by TADA court and sought bail until that appeal was ruled on.


Dutt was sentenced to six years of rigorous imprisonment by a TADA Court under the Arms Act for possession of arms, including an AK-56 assault rifle at the height of the 1993 communal riots in Mumbai.


Five other convicts -- Sameer Hingora, Aziz Ahmed Mohammed Ahmed Sheikh, Ibrahim Musa Chauhan, Yusuf Mohsin Nulwalla and Zaibunnisa Anwar Kazi -- were also granted relief by the apex court. They too were released today.


The apex court granted bail to all the six on the condition that they will report to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) office in Mumbai every week and will not abuse their grant of liberty and bail.


The TADA court is expected to give a copy of its judgment by August 27. Dutt, after getting a copy of the TADA court's judgment, will have to surrender before police.


Dutt has already spent nearly 16 months in prison before his release on bail in 1996.



He was welcomed by family and friends, some of whom had arrived from overseas. A coconut was broken at the doorstep of Dutt's home as an auspicious ritual.

http://www.dailyindia.com/show/168085.php/Sanjay-Dutt-was-treated-like-any-other-prisoner-say-jail-authorities

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