A Final Verdict

A scene in film Lage Raho Munnabhai has a scene where an imaginary Mahatma Gandhi tells lovable goonda Munna, 바카라�If you make a mistake, admit it and go through the consequences (read punishment). It바카라�s the right thing to do. You will be forgiven and truly accepted only after that.바카라�

Which was pretty much what Special Judge P.D. Kode had told the actor who played the part, Sanjay Dutt, in 2007 while sentencing him to six years under the Arms Act for illegal possession of firearms. He had, though, abso­l­ved him of the more serious 바카라�terror바카라� tag that had haunted him since 1993 in the Bombay blasts case. However, Sanjay appealed to the Supreme Court which this week, on March 21, sentenced him to five years (a reduction of one year). Dutt has had over 25 film releases after his conviction with four films still under production.

Now, as Bollywood rallies around its much-loved Munnabhai, Sanjay himself will be desperately exploring the 바카라�narrow window바카라� of appeal (the next four weeks) he has before surrendering. He바카라�s stayed put in his Bandra home with his family after the verdict. With 18 months already served, he has three-and-a-half years to finish. Legal experts say he has the option of filing a rev­iew petition or approaching a larger bench but chances of a different verdict are slim. For, his conviction is based on con­fes­sions as well as corroborative evidence.

Senior lawyer Majeed Memon told Outlook, 바카라�Everyone feels the punishment did not fit into today바카라�s situation. He is a changed man from the one who made mistakes two decades ago. His career terminates now and he has to surrender unless there is a stay order.바카라�

Special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, however, echoed the citizens바카라� fee­lings. 바카라�The judgement reinforces the people바카라�s faith in the judiciary. There is a feeling that stars get away with committing crimes. I welcome the judgement.바카라�

Sister Priya outside the SC, Mar 21, 2013 (Photograph by Sanjay Rawat)

Nikam also spoke of strong signals being sent across the border with the upholding of Yakub Memon바카라�s death pen­alty, which some may find a bit of a str­e­tch. Nearly half of the Memon family was convicted for 바카라�the conspiracy and execution of the serial blasts바카라� that killed 257 and injured over 700 on March 12, 바카라�93 (said to be revenge for the 1992-93 riots which gripped the city after the Babri demolition). Twenty years later, one of them, Yakub, a CA by profession and now the face of the attacks (with main acc­used Dawood Ibrahim and Tiger Memon absconding), gets death.

On September 12, 바카라�06, Yakub Memon had screamed in the court, 바카라�We do not want to be terrorists. We will die like this only. The people who make these blasts happen want us to become terrorists and you are getting fooled by them. I was told 13 years back that nothing would come out of this. But it바카라�s taken 13 years to realise this is all drama.바카라�

Majeed Memon noted that despite mitigating circumstances not pointing to direct involvement, the court still found him to be one of the principal offenders. His lawyer Subhash Kanse says, 바카라�The man has been in jail since August 5, 1994, and was hoping his death would be commuted. Now I don바카라�t know if he will even appeal for mercy.바카라� .

However, the other 10 death row conv­icts will escape the gallows. Lawyer Far­hana Shah, who represented the max­imum number of accused in the trial (now on for over 14 years), said she was relieved that the death sentences were commuted to life-terms.

So while the success of the prosecution lies in sentencing a star who 바카라�made mis­takes바카라�, the failure in not getting the prime conspirators is a major dampener. Especially when one considers the series of attacks that have followed after 1993 in this much fractured Maximum City.