6 Reasons Why Sanju Baba Should Not Be Spared

Some say he has faced enough hardships in 20 years to be pardoned; some say he has done some good films which worked for societal improvement and hence has worked for societal good, some go to the extreme saying let bygones be bygones, he is a changed man so pardon him. I though find Six very important reasons why Sanjay Dutt should not be pardoned.

1. The fact that he was in touch and talking to Anees Ibrahim, brother of none other than Dawood Ibrahim is now in public domain. It is also known that he had some licensed weapons and still went on to procure AK 56 for self protection (these unlicensed). It is important to quote MN Singh here, the JCP Mumbai Police who investigated the blast. He said “The explanation doesn’t cut any ice. One doesn’t go running for help to gangsters for self-protection. There are government agencies to fall back on and in his case it was easy to get government help. As the son of Nargis and Sunil Dutt, a Congress MP, Sanjay could have asked the government for help. And here is the most troubling question: why did Dutt keep hand grenades? The ‘self protection’ argument can hardly be used to defend this act.”

2. It is also a well known fact that Sanjay did took possession of a huge bogey of armaments which might have been used for the then terrorist incident. Do we still need to pardon such individuals.

3. There were others in the case with activities much less troubled than that of our Munnabhai. A few – including Baba Mussa Chauhan and Magnum video owner Samir Hingora – who went to Dutt’s house to deliver the consignment of arms. Others like Manzoor Ahmed, whose car was used to bring back the weapons from Dutt’s residence, and an old woman (Zaibunissa Kazi), who kept the consignment in her house for a few days. All these people and some more were booked under TADA (Terrorists and Disruptive Activities Prevention Act). Sanjay though got a reprieve from TADA (reasons best known to the judiciary). Do we still want him to not complete the remaining period in his punishment.

4. The apex court in its judgment clearly ruled out chances of Probation considering the nature of the crime. I am a layman and from a very layman point of view, I would like to say here that in a criminal justice system like India where almost all verdicts of importance come in after at least a decade, should all criminals be let go if a few people who are dependent on him form an opinion that he has changed into a good man in the interim. Yes, you read it write, I actually alleged the film industry backing him, backing him because there is huge money floating on his films and many in the same industry have formerly been known to dance in the D-Parties in Dubai etc. Also, I can argue on the same count that others in the interim might also have changed so let’s free everyone. Why does someone with tumour in her body, at 70-years of age suffer inside the Jail when a man known to be reckless in his life’s younger age so scot-free.

5. Finally, this entire request falls flat on the face when we think of so many undertrials languishing in Indian jails. You know why most of them are there? Because they cannot afford a lawyer and hence spend years even after being not being proven guilty. Hence how can a Sanjay Dutt who remained outside for a good 18 years out of 20 could be let off because a few think he is a changed man.

6. He was 33-years-old when he committed that crime, an age all of us are expected to be mature. What was he thinking while keeping grenades and ak-56 at his house? If this ain’t a huge crime, what is? Now imagine the circumstances. One of the accused in the Delhi rape was 17-years-old on the day of the crime. He was uneducated, did not come from the so-called civil society, had every reason to behave rash but we unanimously irrespective of his age wanted his blood. Sanjay Dutt was educated, came from the elitist civil society, was son of a illustrious father and sat in the most coveted circles. I know you would point out to the nature of the crime here but one-second, did not 257-people die in the Mumbai blast so wasn’t the crime as gory as anything else that you saw.

Let’s be honest here. If today this man is pardoned, tomorrow Salman’s followers would come out saying he started Being Human, see he is doing societal good, he does not bang actresses houses too these days. He is a changed man, please leave him (that if he is pronounced guilty in the hit-and-run case). Do we want a scenario like that or we better respect the apex court ruling. Let the man face his actions, let him stay in jail, in any case its far too less for the crimes he commit.

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