“All I can say is that I have full faith in the judiciary. I am thankful to the people of this country; I have a long battle to face; please pray for me and I love you all,” actor Sanjay Dutt said here, hours after he was released from the Yerawada jail in Pune on the interim bail granted by the Supreme Court.
Mr. Dutt reached his Bandra residence at 8.30 a.m. He came to Mumbai in a chartered flight. He was welcomed by sisters Priya Dutt and Namrata Dutt, their husbands, and friends such as Bunty Walia and Vasu Bhagnani. His companion Manyata was also present at his residence.
Mr. Dutt spent three weeks in jail after he was sentenced on July 31to six-year rigorous imprisonment. His friend and another convict Yusuf Nulwalla too accompanied him to his residence from the jail.
There was moderate police presence in the area and no untoward incident was reported.
Mr. Dutt spoke to the media around 4 p.m. Dressed in a blue t-shirt and jeans, he stood behind the gate of the building, as Ms. Priya Dutt and her husband, Owen Roncon, looked on.
He said he respected the decision of the court and would abide by the law. “I couldn’t meet my fans outside the jail in Pune and I will go and meet them; I am thankful for all their love. Please pray for me.”
Mr. Dutt said he would be using this period before he surrendered again on receiving a copy of the judgment to discuss the future legal course.
The apex court had directed him to attend the CBI office every Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Later, his sisters, in a statement, said: “On behalf of our family, we are thankful for this temporary relief that we have got. We are relieved to have our brother back home. We will always love and support him in any way we can. We thank everyone for their support and prayers. We have full faith in the judicial system and we are confident justice will be served.”
Mr. Dutt was convicted in November 2006 for illegal possession of weapons. Though the special court acquitted him under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, he and his friends were convicted under the Arms Act.
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