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Journalism of Courage
Sanjay Dutt was shifted to the Yerawada Central Prison here from Mumbais Arthur Road Jail early Wednesday under heavy security cover,according to police officials. Jail authorities said secrecy was maintained during the transfer for security reasons and to avoid the chaos because of a possible media chase.
The 53-year-old actor,who recently surrendered after the Supreme Courts confirmation of his conviction in the 1993 serial blasts case,will now serve the remaining 42 months of his five-year sentence.
Dutt has already served 18 months of the sentence,out of which he was lodged in the Yerawada prison for about 40 days.
ADG,prisons,Meeran Borwankar,said,Sanjay Dutt was brought to Yerawada Central Prison around 7 am. He was brought via the Expressway. A high security cover was provided to him during transit.
Around 4.30 am,Dutt was taken out of Arthur Road Jail,where he was lodged after he surrendered before the court,an officer with the jail department said. There were three vehicles in the convoy. Another convict in the blasts case,Yusuf Nalwala,was also brought in the same convoy. A woman convict in the case,Zaibunnisa Kazi,had also recently been moved to Yerawada.
We had decided to keep the transfer secret because of the obvious security reasons and to avoid any chaos that could have been created by the media. When he surrendered before the court recently,the media had blocked his way for a long time, Borwankar said.
Even the last time he was brought here,his van was chased on the Expressway by media vehicles which had crossed the speed limits endangering lives. To avoid the chaos we decided to keep this transfer a secret,she said.
