For 14 days,Sanjay Dutt is a free man

DIG (West Region) Rajendra Dhamane,who granted the furlough,said,“Dutt was granted leave of furlough about a week ago and was released on Monday. As per jail manual,any prisoner who spends at least three months in prison is entitled to such a leave based on certain conditions. After examining internal reports from the prison and the report from the local police station in Mumbai,Dutt was granted furlough of 14 days.”

Dhamane said during this period Dutt will have to report to the local police station and cannot leave the country. “If he breaks any law,his furlough will be revoked. He can do his routine work during this time period. He will have to report back to the jail after 14 days.” The DIG clarified that furlough has not been granted for any medical reasons. “He is entitled to it after being three months in jail.”

Jail officials said that Dutt was released around 9 am on Tuesday morning and he left the jail premises in a private car. It is however not clear whether Dutt flew to Mumbai or travelled by road. While in prison,Dutt was given the convict badge number 16656 and was assigned the job of making paperbags.

A senior officer of jail department said,“As far as possible,secrecy was maintained about his release for furlough considering the security issue and mainly to avoid media attention. A few years ago when he was released from here,a lot of media vehicles had chased him on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway.”

Even while serving the sentence in Yerawada jail,Dutt made headlines for a cultural event of the jail inmates,which was scheduled at the Balgandharva Rangamandir on September 26. Dutt was expected to perform in a play and some Bollywood numbers. The programme however was postponed a few hours before it started and the jail department cited security reasons. The new date has not yet been announced.