Sanjay Dutt's repeated parole under central scanner

The union home ministry has sought a report from the Maharashtra government on the repeated parole granted to Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, an official said here Monday.

Last week, in a communication, the centre asked the state government to clarify whether Dutt was accorded any special privileges while accepting his parole request thrice within eight months since he was lodged in the Yerawada Central Jail in Pune.

Confirming the development, state Home Minister R.R. Patil said the state government would send its reply to the central government soon.

"We shall inform the centre under what circumstances the parole has been granted," Patil told media persons here.

Asked whether convicts took advantage of the parole system, Patil said it pertains to certain legal issues and he has sought details on this from the additional chief secretary in the home ministry.

Dutt, 54, has been sentenced to serve the remaining 42 months of his five-year prison term after he was found guilty in the March 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts.

He returned to the Pune jail May 18, 2013, and subsequently was granted parole on several occasions, creating a controversy.

Currently, Dutt is out on parole since Dec 21 and will remain outside jail till March 21.

Prior to this, he was released on a fortnight-long furlough, which was extended by another fortnight in October 2013.

The reasons Dutt cited were personal medical grounds and later his wife Maanyata's poor health condition as she suffers from multiple heart and liver ailments and underwent a surgery last month at a Mumbai hospital.

In another development, a plea questioning the repeated parole granted to Dutt will be heared by the Bombay High Court Tuesday.