Sanjay Dutt should be pardoned and allowed to do what he does best, act in movies. I don’t know him. I don’t belong to the film fraternity. I am not producing or directing his film. I am not his booze or exercise buddy, though I am a big fan of Munnabhai-I & II and Dutt’s laid back comedy.
I strongly believe that justice would be served if the actor is set free. He is a good albeit foolish man who has suffered enough.
My argument is straight forward — why should any man or woman, Dutt included endure more after facing the sapping Indian litigation processes for two decades that leads to a sentence of five years out of which he has already been in jail for 18 months.
Shouldn’t there be a connection between the duration of the case, the punishment and the non-heinous nature of the crime? Can there be no solution to the debilitating process of dispensing justice in our country?
Nirbhay’s gang rape triggered the stringent anti-rape laws. Similarly, there is need to extend the debate beyond the Dutt case only. Let us also include the countless litigation relating to dowry, property, murder, robbery, rape, motor accidents and more that carry on endlessly in Indian courts.
Let the Dutt instance be used to build some momentum to implement judicial accountability that could benefit millions others, many innocent, caught in the vicious and unending cycle of litigation that can crush the most indomitable spirits.
As a matter of fact, let the Dutt case be seen as a slap on India’s unending judicial process that often victimizes victims.
Agreed, there is a due process of law, but should it be so stretched and unyielding that it destroys a person’s soul, spirit, career, relationships, financial security whether he or she is innocent or not.
Isn’t two decades enough to judge Dutt – he has been a good father, brother, husband, citizen and actor. He has bravely fought to retrieve a semblance of sanity and normalcy in his life after being shunned and boycotted by the same people who ask for his release today due to the millions riding on his movies.
Even those convicted of murder or rape are let off for good behavior after a certain time period in jail to be able to re-build their lives as free individuals.
There is constant pressure on government agencies to perform on time, whether it is to deliver a road project, passport or driving license.
In India prolonging delivery of justice has become a tactic, a strategy, the immediate beneficiaries of which can range from mercenary lawyers to investigating agencies and sometimes the judges themselves.
The rich and the powerful facing serious corruption, murder and rape charges know how to tamper such a system.
They don’t care about the law of the land as long as their very highly paid lawyers play the judiciary in a way that the case never ends. Bail is life time freedom. The victims and witnesses are bumped off, threatened or die naturally.
This is the tragedy of India’s judicial system. Justice delayed is justice denied. Should not our judiciary be answerable and accountable?
Opinions are divided about Dutt. Intellectuals and those active on social networking sites have clinically suggested that the actor should be made to pay for his crime. Many have argued that Dutt is lucky not to have been convicted under more stringent terror laws as there is clear evidence that he hobnobbed with the perpetrators of the Mumbai blasts. The court, however, has held that Dutt is not a terrorist. He procured the weapons for self-defense which is likely true.
In the 90s Indian politics had turned viciously communal and Dutt, whose mother Nargis was a Muslim, feared for the lives of his family members. Prior to the Mumbai blasts in 1993, the likes of Dawood Ibrahim, associated henchmen and relatives freely mixed with Bollywood stars and cricketers.
The innumerable pictures during the Indo-Pak Sharjah cricket matches are clear evidence. If such snaps are read as complicit in terror, then half of Bollywood today and most cricketers of the 80s and 90s would probably be in jail.
Ibrahim was a smuggler and gangster who financed movies and fixed cricket matches. It was only after the 1993 blasts that he was branded India’s most wanted terrorist. Given such contexts, the appeal is to pardon Dutt not because he is a celebrity, not because he legally deserves to go to jail, but to celebrate the spirit of a man who has refused to be cowed down and broken. It should set a precedent for others too.
Siddharth Srivastava 
Thanks for the article. But to be frank and without hoping to sound rude, your article reveals acute lack of understanding about the facts of Sanjay Dutt’s case. You have said that “He procured the weapons for self-defense which is likely true.” Sanjay Dutt’s father was the MP at that time and he was already getting 24 hours police protection. Besides he had three licensed weapons. If he still wanted more security, that could have been easily arranged by the government. What is the need to turn to notorious anti-social elements for protection?? Sanjay Dutt had not reported a single incident of receiving threatening calls to the police. And Mr. Mocking Indian, AK-56 rifles and hand grenades are not used for protection. They are used to create blasts and kill in masses. Sanjay Dutt had kept these ammunitions in his house so that they could be used by the Dawood gang against the Indian population. Even though he was not directly linked to the blasts he was aiding the terrorists by providing them a safe haven to keep their weapons of destruction. This is a grave act of treason and treachery against ones motherland. But naïve as you are, you will still buy the “self protection” theory which has already been ridiculed by all the courts.
Mocking Indian, hope you understand the concept of equality of all before law. Any common man convicted of committing such a grave crime and treason would be branded as a traitor, slapped under TADA and face 10-15 years of rigorous imprisonment and rightfully so. Sanjay Dutt has been absolved of TADA act due to his celebrity status. Even the 6 year sentence given by the earlier court has been reduced to 5 years which is the bare minimum under the arms act. However, even if this is pardoned , then it will be a clear sign that the law is the personal fief of celebrities to use and abuse at their will and walk away with immunity. But then , being an avid fan of Sanjay Dutt, you still want him to be pardoned.
You seem very compassionate and moved that Sanjay has already “suffered” for last twenty years. But let me educate you that much of this delay was because of Sanjay Dutt’s own doings. His frequent postponement of court hearing to influence and bribe officials. And then why didn’t he accept the verdict of the lower court and gracefully accept punishment. He would have already been a free man by now ? Trying to escape punishment eh ??. And what was Sanjay Dutt doing these last twenty years. He was enjoying his love life, raising kids and making money in films. Even on bail, he was in touch with Dawood Ibrahim’s gangsters. If this is “suffering” , then every criminal would want to go through this kind of suffering. Justice delayed is justice denied is a noble concept. This is to mete out quick justice to aggrieved people. But now this is being twisted to harbor criminals and shelter them from their well deserved punishment.
Just amusing that you see in Sanjay Dutt the “spirit of a man who has refused to be cowed down and broken. “ He is a traitor, criminal and a coward to boot. It takes a real man to accept guilt. And it calls for courage, inner strength and fortitude to publicly acknowledge the grave crimes of your past and bravely face the very lenient punishment that you rightfully deserve. But then your vacuous paper hero falls short of all that.
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I saw the heading and wanted to know what good reasons the writer had to let Sanjay Dutt be “pardoned”. I was shocked to find that the writer did-not do even basic research on this case before pompously setting out to form her opinion. People like these form opinions even without trying to understand the facts. Shame on you !!
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I’m starting a online blog directory and was wanting to know if I can submit your site? I’m trying to grow my directory gradually by hand so that it maintains good
quality. I will make sure and put your website in the correct category and I’ll also use, “Pardon Sanjay Dutt | mockingindian” as your anchor text. Please be sure to let me know if this is ok with you by mailing me at: evelyne-lara@yahoo.com. Bless you
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yes please do go ahead..thanks…
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Usually I agree with what you write, but I could not differ more in this case. If the Indian justice system has loopholes, it does not mean that Sanjay Dutt should go free. Please do read the facts of the case here – http://in.news.yahoo.com/why-sanjay-dutt-should-not-be-pardoned-124630205.html
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