Joining the group seeking pardon for Sanjay Dutt, whose jail term was recently upheld by Supreme Court, a senior INLD leader has written to the President in this regard, claiming the actor committed the crime "unintentionally" and under "exceptional circumstances."
Party's Haryana chief Ashok Arora has requested President Pranab Mukherjee to exercise his powers under Article 72 of the Constitution and suspend the sentence till the time the matter is disposed off by the Maharashtra Governor.
Under Article 72, the President enjoys power to grant pardons, reprieves, respites or remissions of punishment or to suspend, remit or commute the sentence of any person convicted of any offence.
"It is acknowledged by all that the crime attributed to Sanjay Dutt was committed unintentionally and under exceptional circumstances by him without realising the full import of his actions," Arora said in his letter.
"The justice cannot be vengeful and looking at the time he has already spent in jail and the suffering that he has undergone, the goals of justice has been achieved," he added.
Dutt, 53, was ordered by the apex court on March 21 to return to jail to complete a five-year sentence in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case.
Earlier, Press Council of India chairperson Justice Markandey Katju had made similar demands, and had sent appeals to the President, the Prime Minister and the Home minister in this regard.
