Politicians come forward to seek pardon for Sanjay Dutt

Former Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh and Lok Sabha MP from Rampur Jaya Prada have been seeking an appointment with Maharashtra Governor K. Sankaranarayanan as they are looking forward to seek pardon for actor Sanjay Dutt. Dutt, who has already served his jail term for 18 months, was sentenced to five years imprisonment in Mumbai serial blasts case. A Raj Bhawan spokesperson told media yesterday, "Amar Singh and Jaya Prada have sought appointment with the Governor on Sanjay Dutt issue tomorrow.” He also said that the meeting may take place at 6:45 pm today. Amar Singh and Dutt are close to each other and Amar used to guide the actor in his brief political career.

Earlier, Press Council of India Chairman Markandey Katju and actor-turned-politicians Jaya Bachchan and Shatrughan Sinha had also sought pardon for Dutt. While talking to reporters, Bachchan told outside the Parliament House, "He (Dutt) has already been punished enough. Twenty years is almost like life imprisonment. I mean he suffered for twenty years and I think to do this to him at this time..... I am going to personally meet the Governor.”

Sinha too joined hands with Katju to appeal to the Maharashtra Governor to pardon Dutt after the Supreme Court upheld his conviction in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case. In a statement on Thursday, Katju had 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 already suffered a lot. Other big politicians like Congress leader Digvijaya Singh and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee have been also backing the actor.