Petition against Sanjay Dutt's early release dismissed

The Bombay High Court has dismissed the petition that challenged the early release of Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt.

Dutt, sentenced in 2013 to five years in jail for illegally holding and destroying a rifle, was lodged in Pune's Yerwada prison and let out early by approximately eight months in February 2016 on account of what the government said was his "good conduct."

The court on Thursday said it finds no violation of rules in his early release from the jail.

The petition was filed by an activist Pradeep Bhalekar, who alleged that the government favoured the actor by giving him an early release, thereby flouting rules.

The government, in its reply to the court, said that the 58-year-old was given remission in the sentence as per the set laws and jail manual.