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Journalism of Courage
A SPECIAL TADA court Thursday turned down actor Sanjay Dutt’s request to be allowed to smoke an e-cigarette in jail but gave him permission to carry among other things a mattress,pillow,copies of the Hanuman Chalisa,Ramayana and Bhagavad Gita,toothbrushes and toothpaste,soap and shampoo.
Dutts lawyer Rizwan Merchant told the court that the actor is a chain smoker and moved an application seeking permission for Dutt to carry 15 per cent Nicotine-based electronic cigarettes inside the jail.
But judge G A Sanap turned down the request. Such demands cannot be entertained, Sanap said and advised Dutt to quit smoking. Dutt smiled in response.
Dutt surrendered before the court at 2.45 pm,barely three hours before the four-week deadline set for him to surrender and serve the remaining three-and-a-half years of his five-year sentence in the 1993 serial bomb blasts case.
Hundreds of fans and protesters had gathered outside the court premises in Kala Ghoda. The actor,wearing jeans,a white shirt and a red tilak on his forehead,looked teary-eyed and dishevelled. He was accompanied by his wife Manyata,sister Priya Dutt and brothers-in-law Owen Roncon and Kumar Gaurav. He held Manyatas hand through the proceedings.
Dutts lawyer informed the court that he would file a curative petition in the Supreme Court soon. Dutt was in the court until 9 pm,when he was taken to Arthur Road jail. He was expected to be taken to Yerwada jail in Pune on Thursday night itself.
