Guv sends Dutt pardon letter to Home dept

Maharashtra Governor K Sankaranarayanan has forwarded expelled Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh's letter, seeking pardon for Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, to the state Home Department, a Raj Bhawan spokesperson said today.

On March 26, Singh and Lok Sabha member Jayaprada had met the Governor to seek pardon for Dutt who has been sentenced to five years' imprisonment in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, he said.

The spokesperson said the Governor forwarded the letter to the state Home Department on March 28.

Earlier, several celebrities, including Press Council of India chairman, retired Justice Markandey Katju, as well as actor-turned-politicians Jaya Bachchan and Shatrughan Sinha sought pardon for Dutt, who has already served 18 months in jail.

Despite the growing clamour for his clemency, 53-year-old Dutt has said he was not seeking any pardon and would surrender within the four-weeks deadline fixed by the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, two advocates of the Allahabad High Court have petitioned the President for granting pardon to Dutt. The clemency petition was e-mailed to the President's office by advocates Brij Bhushan Paul and H N Mehrotra.

However, Abhitej Singh Sandhu, grand-nephew of 'Shaheed-e -Azam' Bhagat Singh, has opposed granting pardon to Dutt, saying the demand for clemency to the Bollywood actor was tantamount to an "affront" to judiciary.

"What these political leaders, actors and others are doing by raising their voice requesting reprieve for Sanjay Dutt are in fact insulting the judicial system of the country", Sandhu told reporters in Shirdi.