Sanjay Dutt was out on parole half the time, why did govt still release him early: Bombay HC

Mumbai city news: Sanjay Dutt was sentenced to five years in jail for his role in the 1993 blasts case

The Bombay high court on Monday asked the Maharashtra government to justify its decision to release actor Sanjay Dutt from prison eight months early.

The court wanted to know how the authorities determined that Dutt’s conduct was “good” if he had not been in jail half the time. (HT File Photo)

Dutt was sentenced to five years in jail for his role in the 1993 blasts case. He served his sentence in Yerawada Central Prison in Pune for illegal possession and destruction of an AK-56 rifle. He was let out in February 2016, on account of his good behaviour.

A bench of justices RM Savant and Sadhana Jadhav, however, asked the government to file an affidavit detailing the parameters considered and the procedures followed before concluding that Dutt deserved any leniency.

“Was the deputy inspector general of police (prisons) consulted or did the jail superintendent directly send his recommendation to the governor?” the bench asked.

“How did the authorities assess that Dutt’s conduct was good? When did they get the time to make such an assessment when he was out on parole half the time?” it said.

The high court was hearing a public interest litigation challenging Dutt’s early release and questioning the frequent paroles granted to the actor.

In October 2013, Dutt was granted furlough. This was extended by 14 days. In December 2013, he was granted parole for 30 days, which was extended twice. The actor’s sister had stood as guarantor and deposited Rs15,000 as a surety. Since his sentence began, the actor has been out of jail for 146 days.