Journalism of Courage
The vigilance wing of the Maharashtra prisons department has ordered a probe into how Yerawada jail officers allowed director Rajkumar Hirani to meet convicted actor Sanjay Dutt on September 24,though the prison manual states that only immediate kin are allowed to meet inmates. Pictures of the two also appeared in the media the next day.
Dutt,currently in jail for the 1993 Mumbai blasts case,was scheduled to participate in a cultural programme with 40 inmates at Balgandharva Rangmanch on September 26. CM Prithviraj Chavan was also supposed to attend the same. However,the show was called off a few hours before it began,with jail authorities claiming it had been postponed due to increased security threat perception,
Sources said senior officers had asked Hirani to give final touches to the performances,though the suggestion had reportedly come from Dutt. On September 24,Hirani,Solapurkar and Dutts lawyer went to Yerawada jail and the director saw the rehearsal and gave some suggestions.
As per rules,apart from the immediate kin only a friend and lawyer whose names have been listed by the inmate at the time of admission are allowed to visit him/her.
