The central message of the recent Supreme Court verdict on the Bombay blasts is that the law is the same for all citizens - a timely recognition of its supremacy. The chorus of voices suggesting that Sanjay Dutt should be pardoned are ill-advised. Justice Markandey Katju's statement that he has been found guilty only of illegal possession of weapons under the arms Act, and that he has "suffered a lot and had to undergo various tribulations and indignities", merits rejection. What about the victims? The nightmarish fear of the fate of ~250 crore invested in his films, currently in various stages of making, rather than any humanitarian consideration, is behind Bollywood's orchestrated support for clemency to Dutt. Former Maharashtra Police boss Y P Singh has pointed out that his father Sunil Dutt, a Congress member of Parliament, had used his clout to influence the Central Bureau of Investigation to switch charges against him from the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act to the arms Act. Ujjwal Nikam, Maharashtra's special public prosecutor, has said this was a mistake by CBI. Now, the best and honourable course open to Dutt is to heed the advice of Mahesh Bhatt, that he should be "man enough" to accept the verdict and serve the rest of the jail term. Democracy cannot be held hostage to the tantrums of an ageing star, however, good and wise he may have become after the event.
N Narasimhan, Bangalore
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N Narasimhan, Bangalore
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The Editor, Business Standard
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