Happy days seem to be just round the corner for actor Sanjay Dutt this New Year. People in the know say that the decision has already been taken about the actor to release him from prison around 103 days before the official end to his five year sentence. Reports suggest that this call has been taken by the Jail Superintendent, following his good conduct during his term. In May 2013, Sanjay Dutt was sent to Yerwada Jail, Pune to serve his sentence for the illegal possession of arms in the Mumbai serial blasts case of 1993 after he was convicted in the same. Since then Sanjay has been in and out of the jail several times, on parole and furlough. Prior to that, honourable Supreme Court had reduced the star’s punishment to five years from six, awarded to him by the TADA court.
Sanjay Dutt’s jail timeline:
April 1993: Arrested in April 1993 under Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act (TADA), granted bail in October 1995
December 1995: Rearrested in December 1995, released in April 1997
31 July 2007: Convicted and sentenced by TADA court on 31st July 2007, appealed against it, released on interim bail on 20th August 2007
22 October 2007: Back to prison in 22nd October 2007, out on 27th November 2007
21 March 2013: Supreme Court upholds the TADA court verdict, grants Sanjay Dutt a month to surrender. Also shortens the conviction period by a year, to five years
By this time, Dutt has already spent 18 months in jail
Remaining jail term: 42 months
10 May 2013: Supreme Court rejects Dutt’s review petition
14 May 2013: Sanjay Dutt withdraws his mercy plea
16 May 2013: Surrenders with Mumbai police
October 2013: Out on furlough for 14 days, granted another 14 days’ extension
Reason: Treatment of injured leg
December 2013: Out on parole for 28 days, extended to another 28 days in January 2014
Reason: Wife Manyata’s illness
December 2014: Out on furlough for 14 days. Request for extension of 14 days not granted
August 2015: Out on parole for 30 days
Resason: Daughter’s medical treatment
27 February 2016: Expecting release, 103 days early
Official prison term to end by November 2016