Sanjay Dutt Says 'Not Applied For Any Pardon'
NEW DELHI: Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt on Thursday said he has not sought pardon after being sentenced to five years in jail for possession of illegal weapons in a case linked to the 1993 Mumbai bombings.
"Right now I am a shattered man, my family is shattered," an emotional Dutt told reporters.
The Supreme Court last Thursday rejected Dutt's final appeal against a 2007 court judgement which sentenced him to six years in prison, but reduced the term by one year.
The sentencing has prompted a debate on whether the 53-year-old actor was judged too harshly, with some in the Bollywood film industry and former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju calling for him to be pardoned.
"The honorable Supreme Court has given me time to surrender and I will surrender at that time. All I can tell you all is that I have not applied for any pardon," Dutt said as he broke down in tears and hugged his sister Priya, who sat beside him.
In 2007, the actor was cleared of conspiracy charges in the Mumbai serial blasts which killed 257 people, but was found guilty of illegal possession of an AK-56 rifle and a pistol.
During his trial he claimed the weapons were to protect him and his family during a period of rioting in Mumbai.
Dutt, 53, popular for his role as a do-good gangster in the "Munnabhai" films, requested the media and well-wishers to leave him "in peace" as he had just a few days left before surrendering to prison authorities.
"I have a lot of work, I have to finish all that work. I have to spend all this time with my family, so I with folded hands tell you all that just let me be in peace till the time I go in," he said.
More than 2.5 billion rupees and the fate of various Bollywood movies hang in the balance after Dutt's sentencing.
The actor has four films in the pipeline, including Raju Hirani's "Peekay", K S Ravikumar's "Policegiri", Rensil D'Silva's "Unglee" and Apoorva Lakhia's remake of "Zanjeer".
