Munnabhai to surrender today

Sanjay Dutt will be sent either to Thane, Yerwada or Nashik prisons to serve the remaining three-and-a-half years

A TADA court here today allowed the Bollywood actor, Sanjay Dutt, to withdraw his application seeking to give himself up before Yerwada jail authorities in Pune.

Dutt will surrender before the court tomorrow. He will be later sent to Thane, Yeravada, Nashik or other jail in the state, in line with the court directive to undergo his remaining three-and-a-half-year jail term, after being convicted by the Supreme Court in the 1993 Bombay blasts case.

Police sources clarified Dutt could not be put in the Arthur Road Prison in south central Mumbai, as it was meant for undertrials.

Dutt, who had spent one-and-a-half years in jail in the past, would have to live a simple life on a ‘work and earn’ basis in prison. According to police sources, Dutt is entitled to a daily payment of Rs 25 a day, which can be increased to Rs 50. Besides, family members can give Dutt Rs 1,500 a month.

Fans continued to converge on his residence at Pali Hill in northwest Mumbai to get a glimpse of Munnabhai. They are hoping the court might reduce the jail term of three-and-a-half years. Some, however, were relieved to see Dutt had been able to finish shooting for T P Agarwal’s ‘Policegiri’ and Karan Johar's home production ‘Unglee’.

A family source told Business Standard: “The family will like to deal with the matter themselves, as it is highly personal.”

Some Congress party members are organising prayer meetings for Dutt in northwest Mumbai. Sister Priya Dutt is a Congress member of the Parliament.