'Jhappi' comment still spells trouble for Sanjay Dutt

The actor, being tried in a Uttar Pradesh court for saying he wouldn’t mind giving ‘jadu ki jhappis’ to Chief Minister Mayawati, has been asked to be present in the Pratapgarh district court on June 9, when it hears the case next. The case hearing was scheduled for Monday. But Dutt was not present, as he was not served the summons. The chief judicial magistrate then wrote to the Mumbai police commissioner to serve summons on  Dutt, so that he could be present for the June 9 hearing.

On April 16 last year, Dutt had offered to give ‘jadu ki jhappis’ to Mayawati, if she didn’t mind it, during an election rally at Pratapgarh, while campaigning for Samajwadi Party in the 2009 general election. Finding the remarks “objectionable” police registered a case against him. Similar remarks on the BSP Supremo landed him in trouble in Barabanki and Mau, too. Sanjay Dutt later explained that he had made the remarks in a lighter vein and expressed regret if they hurt Mayawati.