PROJEKT iVIEW: An Opinion on Sanjay Dutt’s Sentence
iVIEW AUTHOR:
Santosh Swarnakar (Bombay, India)
email: santoshswarnakar [at] gmail.com
Finally the verdict is out. Sanjay Dutt gets 6 years rigorous imprisonment. This is the only content for the entire media since 31st July ‘07. People were shown crying, grieving and shocked at the verdict. Some even commented that he did not deserve a punishment being a good Samaritan and a cult celebrity. Many felt that justice prevailed and their belief in judiciary was restored and also that no body was above the law.
In this context, many celebrities even came live on Tv to advocate on behalf of Dutt, that he had suffered a lot and had kept the said AK-56 rifle for self defense (forget Mr Subhash Ghai’s opinion, for he did campaigned for Dutt the time when ‘Khalnayak’ was stuck, but later replaced him with Anil Kapoor in ‘Trimurty’ as he had reeled only a few portions with him).
But have we ever analyzed the reason for him getting convicted in the case? People say that he was young and innocent and did not know what he was doing. But at the time he was arrested, he was 30+ years of age and had done quiet numbers of films where he himself had fired fake weapons to kill villains. So he had ample knowledge about what the rifle can be used for, that too an AK- 56. Moreover a normal individual who lives in a modernized society and a place like Mumbai has enough IQ at the age of 30+ to understand what or where a certain kind of weapon can be used for. The weapon in question is used either by the defense personnel or the anti-social elements, because it’s a portable weapon of mass destruction and can kill more than 40 people at one go. Obviously he does not belong to the former category (neither latter, as already proved in court).
Secondly, he said that he got it for self defense. At that time his father was an MP, so obviously there must have been armed security guards at their residence. While moving out, all celebrities hire personal body guards who carry licensed weapon with them 24×7. Even if he felt threatened after the riots, he could have easily asked for more security from the legal department of the state as he had the status to speak directly to the highest authority in the police department.
Thirdly, people say he has already a lot suffered a lot (not forgetting the 16 month 2 days jail term that he has already served). So has the people probing this case for the last 14 years. They were not allowed to go home in the initial stages of investigation and worked round the clock to crack the case and track the culprits. However Dutt got a few extra facilities in jail for the number of days he was there. Even after being bailed out Dutt continued working in movies and earned crores. He did paid occasional visit to court as and when he was summoned but maintained a high celebrity status. Co-stars say he was in trauma and anxiety over the period. Why was he so? Was it because somewhere he knew he was guilty and might not escape the law? Why did he even write a petition the judge for forgiveness? He visited many shrines and offered his prayers just to ask the almighty to do some miracle so that he gets lenient punishments for his deeds (rather misdeeds).
We do not know what was going through the judge’s mind at the time of decision, but he must have analyzed all there factors before sentencing him.
Mr Dutt should feel responsible enough to appeal to the media so as not to blow the matter out of proportion. He did something which was against the Indian law and according to the charges laid and proved in the court of justice, he was punished. Let’s not forget that he is an Indian citizen before being a celebrity.
Now all that we can do is hope that he gets bail from the apex court and finish shooting only for the incomplete movies he is in now, before serving the sentence of around four years and eight months (he has already served for 16 months and 2 days), thus saving the poor producers and the film industry’s around 150 crores invested on him.
Now we can at last say….Satyamev Jayte…
Anurag Kashyap
Abhay Deol
Dibakar Banerjee
Hansal Mehta
Khalid Mohamed
Kundan Shah
Anish Kuruvilla
Jaideep Verma
Manish Gupta
Navdeep Singh
Bhavani Iyer
D. Santosh
Onir
Ashvin Kumar
Ramu Ramanathan
Sudhir Mishra
Pankaj Advani
Revathy
Saurabh Shukla
Shilpa Shukla
Sujoy Ghosh
Suparn Verma
Santosh Sivan
Shashank Ghosh
Shivajee
Pavan Kaul
Partho Sen-Gupta
Prroshant Naryannan
Sam Langoria
Satish Kasetty
Well,according to some he’s a criminal,but sometimes u feel that he’s just the wrong guy in the wrong place at the wrong time i.e Bad timing,but that’s just an opinion?
That’s what I feel Vikram… no doubt he has erred on many occassions, but from my pov it was too harsh a sentence… but then, the judge is more familiar with the case (living with it diligently for days and nights over so many years) and may have his own logic and reasons for passing such a judgement.
Sympathy for Sanjay Dutt is more misplaced and driven by self interests of certain groups and lobbies rather than simple and sincere concern..Its this hypocritical stance that is most abominable..Instead of talking of harshness of punishment can someone plz suggest harsher measures to snuff out this menace of hypocricy..it will do Sanjay Dutt a great service in making him discriminate between grain and the chaff in years ahead.
Well, I think if the judge had decided otherwise, everyone would have started crying foul. Now its dancing to opposite tune. :d
He is better inside not because of what he did but because he is stupid enough to hire a lawyer whose defense arguments ala self defense is ridiculous. self defense with AK-56. :-? Even I can argue in TADA court against this. With his physique and munna bhai persona, he could have bought a KATTA, :d which could have evoked more fear in the heart of the rioters. This tactic have been used in avant garde gangster movies. Think of it, only Mithun, I guess, can ran in the midst of crowd with a AK-56 or even a patton tank (bofors, I guess AB baby wont allow). KATTA is gritty and less expensive. I remember a movie (actually dubbed version) which I saw in my heydays of rampant movie watching “Yeh Kaisa Bharat Bandh” where the villain (who later becomes CM in the movie. Nothing surprising) used to go in a half pant to kill his enemies with a katta in his vegetable jhola (bag). And the effect it produces is beyond explanation to anyone who havent seen it (the movie) in first person.
There were 100 people sentenced that day in that verdict. Most of these people have been in Jail for 13 years when dutt was happily filming away earning his crores and revelling in luxurious life. In which angle does it look like suffering for anyone?
He did something wrong and it seems like law advocates a minimum 5-10years for this crime which is what he got.
Well said Sachita! Agree with you completely…
Symbolism. That is what this verdict is. Sanjay Dutt is but a face to what the law has proved here.
At times you do need to send out a message to the people that law is prevalent and that it is bigger than all. Celebrity, fame, money, trauma are a part of the deal but how will you convince the masses that law can get anyone.
I think the decision is fair. Maybe harsh but fair. I am not sure of the criminal act or whether the action deserved the punishment but for me the symbolic nature of the verdict works as the way the message has been sent out is really powerful. The catch phrase is shock and yes, it is lost in today’s time esp in India. Train blasts and mumbai is affected but the nation moves on. Sanjay Dutt gets jail and everyone who hears the news stops, ponders and that stays with him/her. That is how democracy announces itself.
Timely article Santosh, keep em coming…
justice having prevailed————-thats a load of bull.
infamous triple murder case in Punjab involving an ADGP——-three guys get a life term 14 years —-they serve ten including 30 day vacation every 6 months—–and are out for good. Mr ADGP gets aquitted by honorable High Court coz the case is based on circumstantial evidence
Brutally murdering 3 gets u 10 and the possesing an illegal stash of weapons gets you 6 ——fcuk me this logic seems kind of convuluted to me.
Santosh Swarnakar:
Any case in a court is very technical thing but life is above any law and court. Court consider only narrow facts presented before it and it has to see through those facts only and often Judges know that what they are seeing is a narrow vision but they have to give verdict according to those facts only.
Its not about AK 56 or AK 57, it can be desi pistol and hopefully Sanjay Dutt was not the only person who got illegal weapons in the country.
It should not matter from where you are getting a weapon because those who sells such weapons are people indulged in illegal activities.
This is hilarious to know that Sanjay Dutt shd be punished because he was seen in a party where Mafia bosses were present. Is court going to punish all the filmwalla and Cricket stars who used to attend these parties in late 80s? Whose mistake it is that people have to keep fear of these Mafia bosses? Its said when Jessical Lal was shot then few big Police officers were also present on the spot and party was basically an illegal party in the eyes of law. Did these police wala perform their duties?
How illegal armaments came in to Bombay in 1993?
Top police officers enjoying their posts at that time are punished for this negligence?
Rather films are made to give them images of heros.
What do you think if Sanjay Dutt was not son of a MP who was getting tremendous popularity at that time, then he was getting these charges against him. How do we know he was not framed to tarnish his Father’s growing popularity. You seem to be bombaiyakar and you shd try to know the scenes of those days. Just try to know How Sunil Gawaskar, Dilip Kumar and Sunil Dutt were involved in saving people from the riots. That is the spirit. Their homes were shelter place for victims and if they started getting threats and their family members got fear then it is not unusual thing. Here Indira Gandhi is not spared from terroristic activities. Rajiv Gandhi is killed then who was Sunil Dutt in comparison to working PM or former PM?
During riots general definitions are not imposed. Truely one has to keep mind sane but not many can do it.
Bhindrawala came to Delhi in a bus with his associates with all these automatic weapons. Police, could arrest him? or court could give orders to arrest him? No because power was behind him. Many powerful politicians in 1993 might have ignited illegal activities but they remained safe. Sunil Dutt was not powerful but he was getting popularity more than these powerful politicians and this is true Sanjay Dutt has been a foolish son and his activities eclipsed the political career of his father. But it does not require much to frame such a weak mind as Sanjay Dutt’s was.
Activists will think 100 times before demonstrating in front of houses of Bal Thakray or Sharad Pawar but they did not think even twice before doing this infront of houses of Sunil Dutt and Dilip Kumar because these secular people might be popular but they were not powerful.
One is acting against law if he occupies illegal arms be it a knife or AK 56 and if court is adament to punish a person then its enough to punish but if court is acting with more vision and sees that did these arms affect human lives?
Simply to book some one under TADa because the arms he gopt came from mafias is narrow vision. Is Sanjay Dutt involved in killing others? He is acting like Mafia towards common people or his filmwala. Everytime his father was involved in some social misison or was contesting election, some tapes were released where Sanjay Dutt was found talking with wanted Mafias. Was he giving them Supari to kill someone in film world.
Mistakes and crimes are two different thing and though difference may be of micro level.
It matters less that Sanjay Dutt, got bail and worked in films. a person charged under TADA cant sleep well and that too when he knows his father belongs to a certain political parties and all opponent parties will demand his blood.
Its not only case of celebrity but merit of case has to be seen. If Sanjay Dutt has been anti national after 1993 then why only 6 years he shd be sent in jail for 60 years and if not then one has to see is he reforming himself?
For a celebrity this is not less punishment that he sat with criminals in court who were charged for their anti national acts.
If sending Sanjay Dutt for 6 years in jail is improving country’s condition and its a step to enhance humanity factor among humanbeing then its a very good justice if not then its a harsh decision just to set some example.
why poor producers? Judge Kode had already warned Sanjay dutt to complete all the projects before the date of sentence…n all producers also knew this…
these ppl underestimated the judge n r paying the price..:)
Reason for Jail: Sanjay Dutt an Indian celebrity, Had it been you and me convicted with same charges, I bet the same judge would have released us just taking a few lacs from us. In India so many poeple posses guns. Common people, like you and me can get away with almost anything and everything.
Someone says that his father was a MP and he could have asked for more security. Don’t you think in how much pressure he was in when MUMBAI’s bhailog call him and ask him to do something. Its very hard for an established person in India to count on security provided by Indian Government. Inorder to live free and get handful of roles in movie, he had to oblige the Don.
When the whole film industry is ruled by these handful of Mafia then what do you expect Sanjay Dutt to do. Now our government & a few organization have their shoulders up right, But whats nexts. Still the film industry will be ruled by those mafia and again some Sanjay Dutts career will be ruined. I feel really bad for Sanjay Dutt. People before judging right and wrong and passing your comments just try being in his shoes and think how much pressure he must have been in. At the end of the day its totally your point of view.
-N
Nah,in my case,i feel that he deserved it to a certain extent i.e people have been punished more for lesser crimes.But sometimes i feel sad for the guy because he’s been through a lot of shit.But then my brain kinda wakes up and tells me “he ain’t the only dude who’s been through bad times”.Well,all i hope is that he’s learnt his lesson and that no other fool tries to act stupid like Sanjay did.But whatever he’s done should not reflect on his career
Though I feel bad for SD as a person having to spend time in prison , I feel worse for all those people who have been given death sentence. But I suppose 4 years and a few more months in Jail for SD is more important than a few lives!!!!
Having said that I feel that somehow the question is not if ten other people who have commited something against the law have been punished or not…. the fact is even one case of justice signifies hope. And yes at 34 if you are young and naive- too bad. I am sure hndreds of people in the city felt unsafe during the riots. The building I was staying in andheri(E) was attacked…. i was afraid… did not even have the possibility of seeking police protection… BUT…
A George Michael gets his licence revoked for life for driving after consuming alcohol, a W. Rider serves prison for stealing… here when all around us are stories of Justice denied, ometimes these are important instances of hope. Just like the TV showed peple crying, there were also people saying “this is justice”. Its time people became responsible for their action.
Nikhil, I don’t think SD deserves sympathy. Please read
http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/aug/02flip.htm
for an eyeopening article.
See in particular this quote near the bottom”:
“The actor was subsequently asked to confirm whether he had indeed spoken to Chhota Shakeel on the night of November 14, 2000 as the tapes indicated. Sanjay Dutt then told Judge A P Bhangale that he could not remember anything much from that evening because of all the liquor that he had consumed. Full points for honesty perhaps, but after all this it is utter nonsense to claim that this man is any kind of a role model for youth.”
No other article mentions this.
My point here is : In India one needs political power and money to get out of any lawsuit. Sanjay Dutt however has both these both powers but because he has fame too he can’t avail what other can.
I agree what Sanjay Dutt did is wrong and people saying that he was immature is bull shit too. Nobody’s immature at the age of 30. My point here is if a gangster asks me to keep a gun at my place and i get caught. Because I’m not famous i can get away with it in no time. There are criminals out on the streets who live free and never get trails. I think they are more dangerous and anti social than Sanjay Dutt. If people living in my country are under this impression India has set an example in front of its people that everyone is equal when it comes to breaking the law. thats not true…. There are still so many cases where girls are raped and no one in the police station is ready to write file FIR. I think such people should be behind the bars not Sanjay Dutt. How do you think Amitabh and Shahrukh and other biggies of bollywood have such a great career. Don’t you think they have been giving money to the gangsters in Mumbai. The only mistake Sanjay Dutt did was he got caught. Moreover if you try to go against them and file a compliant like any others did, this is what they do (Check out second last Question in this link http://www.hvk.org/articles/0101/2.html ) I can’t trust the security my government will provide me. Everyones not Balasaheb Thakre.
People are so scared in Mumbai Film Industry that they are willing to do almost anything. They know if they deny to anything don asks them to do, the price could be their life. Check out think link No bidders show up for Dawoods property in India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/29561768.cms
Comman man living in India got No balls to show up at the the bid. They know what price they will have pay. Life’s not secure for a anyone out there and if a celeb is keeping ties with gangsters to live that ain’t crime.
what goes around, comes around!!