<p>The Home Ministry has sought opinion of Maharashtra government on reducing sentence of Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt and two other convicts in the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The move came after Press Council of India chief Justice (retd) Markandey Katju petitioned President Pranab Mukherjee seeking relief for the actor and two others, including a 70 year-old women, on humanitarian grounds.<br /><br />Sources told PTI that the Home Ministry sought the opinion of the Maharashtra government after the President forwarded applications of Katju and a few others seeking reduction of their sentences.<br /><br />"We have asked the state government to provide its opinion, the jailor's comment on the actor's conduct and a few others issues," sources said.<br /><br />Dutt, who was lodged in Pune's Yerawada Central Jail to serve his remaining sentence in connection with the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, is currently at home on furlough.<br /><br />Good conduct is one of the criteria for granting furlough, which is sanctioned from prisoner's accumulated leave.<br /><br />Dutt, 53, is serving the remaining 42-month jail term for possessing illegal firearms, part of the cache of weapons which were supposed to be used during the 1993 bombings.<br /><br />He was shifted to Yerawada jail from Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail on May 22 in a hush-hush pre-dawn operation.<br /><br />In its March 21 verdict, the Supreme Court had reduced Dutt's jail term from six years to five. The actor had already served 18 months behind bars.<br /><br />On May 10, the Supreme Court had dismissed Dutt's plea seeking review of its judgement on his conviction and the five-year jail sentence.<br /><br />After getting recommendation from the state government, the matter may be put before the President, if required, sources said.</p>
<p>The Home Ministry has sought opinion of Maharashtra government on reducing sentence of Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt and two other convicts in the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The move came after Press Council of India chief Justice (retd) Markandey Katju petitioned President Pranab Mukherjee seeking relief for the actor and two others, including a 70 year-old women, on humanitarian grounds.<br /><br />Sources told PTI that the Home Ministry sought the opinion of the Maharashtra government after the President forwarded applications of Katju and a few others seeking reduction of their sentences.<br /><br />"We have asked the state government to provide its opinion, the jailor's comment on the actor's conduct and a few others issues," sources said.<br /><br />Dutt, who was lodged in Pune's Yerawada Central Jail to serve his remaining sentence in connection with the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, is currently at home on furlough.<br /><br />Good conduct is one of the criteria for granting furlough, which is sanctioned from prisoner's accumulated leave.<br /><br />Dutt, 53, is serving the remaining 42-month jail term for possessing illegal firearms, part of the cache of weapons which were supposed to be used during the 1993 bombings.<br /><br />He was shifted to Yerawada jail from Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail on May 22 in a hush-hush pre-dawn operation.<br /><br />In its March 21 verdict, the Supreme Court had reduced Dutt's jail term from six years to five. The actor had already served 18 months behind bars.<br /><br />On May 10, the Supreme Court had dismissed Dutt's plea seeking review of its judgement on his conviction and the five-year jail sentence.<br /><br />After getting recommendation from the state government, the matter may be put before the President, if required, sources said.</p>