Latest laws Helping good people to do good things.July 27, 2017
He was granted parole and furlough within two months of surrendering.
On Thursday, the Bombay High Court asked the Maharashtra govt. how actor Sanjay Dutt was granted parole & furlough in quick succession and within 2 months of surrendering to serve his 5 year sentence in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case.
The High Court also sought to know as to how’s the good conduct & behavior of a convict ascertained & also on what basis the actor was granted an early remission.
Division Bench of Justice R. M. Savant & Justice Sadhana Jadhav noted that Sanjay Dutt surrendered in May 2013 & in July he filed applications seeking his release on parole & furlough.
Justice Jadhav said that “On 8th July 2013, he (Dutt)filed for furlough & then on 25th July he sought to be released on parole; both the applications were allowed & that too concurrently.”
Justice Jadhav further added “How did jail authorities ascertain good conduct & behavior within just 2 months of the convict surrendering? Normally the jail superintendent wouldn’t even forward the applications, the authorities would throw out the application.”
Advocate General-Ashutosh Kumbakoni told the HC that Sanjay Dutt wasn’t given any preferential treatment but if court feels & comes to the conclusion that the State govt. had erred in granting him early remission, it can direct him to go back to jail.
“We don’t want to set the clock back in time, we aren’t for a moment suggesting that he go back to jail, but we only want such issues to be streamlined so that in future no such questions are raised,” Justice Savant said.
The judge said that “We only want to know that on what basis/criteria he was granted early remission on good conduct? How’s this good behavior conduct & ascertained? Our conscience has to be satisfied that all this had been done in accordance with law.”
The High court said it had observed that in numerous cases furlough & parole weren’t given even when the father or mother of the convict was on death bed.
Sanjay Dutt got furlough 1st for his wife’s illness, then parole for his daughter’s illness.
HC has directed the Maharashtra govt. to file a detailed affidavit within 2 weeks.
Court was hearing a public interest litigation(PIL) petition filed by Mumbai resident Pradeep Bhalekar, questioning the regular paroles and furloughs granted to Dutt.
In his petition, P. Bhalekar alleged Dutt was given undue favor by the prisons dept. by granting him remission.
During his imprisonment, he was granted a parole of 90 days in December 2013 & again for 30 days later.
Related News-
3.7.2017 – HC puts Govt in dock for releasing Sanjay Dutt 8 Months earlier than his 5 Year term
7.1.2016 – Sanjay Dutt to be released From Pune Jail on completion of Sentence finally on February 27, with 7 months remission
Very easy , Your Honour. If salman khan judgment given after 13 years of painstaking trial can be overturned in 13 minutes at midnight by HC, why sanjay dutt good conduct cannot be judged in 2 months =87,840 minutes?