Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao has rejected former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju's plea seeking pardon for actor Sanjay Dutt and waiving his remaining sentence in the Mumbai serial blasts case after the state's home department disfavoured such a course.
"While turning down the plea for pardon, the Governor followed the advice of Home Department which had recommended him that the plea for pardon be turned down as Dutt had been convicted by the highest (Supreme) court. It was felt that granting him pardon would set a bad precedent", an official said.
Katju, in his petition, had argued that Dutt was "not a terrorist" and had "only erred".
The Supreme Court had, while convicting Dutt in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case in 2013, sentenced him to five year in jail but said the 18 months that the 56-year-old actor had already served would be set off against the period he had to spend behind the bars.
After the imprisonment in May 2013, Dutt has spent nearly 30 months in prison already and is due to walk out as a free man in February 2016.
On March 12, 1993, a series of 13 explosions had rocked Mumbai resulting in 257 fatalities and injuries to 713 others. Dutt was convicted of possessing sophisticated firearm, part of the cache that was intended to be used during the terror assault, and attempting to destroy it.
After he was sent to Pune's Yerwada jail in May 2013, Dutt had been out on parole twice and an equal number of times on furlough, inviting charge of favouritism against the state authorities.
In October 2013, he was out on furlough for 14 days, which was extended by a fortnight. In January 2014, a 30-day parole was extended by another 30 days. In December 2014, he was granted a 14-day furlough. Since August 27, 2015, he is again out on furlough.
In his petition, Katju had said, "The only charge on which Sanjay Dutt has been found guilty is the charge of having in his possession a prohibited weapon".
He also emphasised that he was in no way questioning the Supreme Court verdict.
