Dutt given `manual hard work' in jail; to do painting

Pune: Actor Sanjay Dutt, sentenced to six-year rigorous imprisonment in 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, has been given "manual hard work" at Yerawada Central Jail but he expressed keeness for painting , official sources said.

Though the nature of the job given to Dutt was not disclosed, the sources said it could be anything under work options available to convicts such as carpentry (which includes cane work), textile, painting, bakery, printing press, leather work, farming, powerloom/handloom, motor garage and kitchen in the jail industry.

The 48-year-old actor, convicted under the Arms Act for possessing illegal weapons, is said to have expressed his desire to get involved in painting work, an official source told PTI on condition of anonymity.

"It is not that a convict serving rigorous imprisonment at Yerawada Jail is expected to stick to just one job. He can ask for a change in work as per his inclination and aptitude," the sources noted.

The prisoners get their prescribed allowance under different work categories.

The prison, housing around 3,000 inmates, gets an annual revenue of over Rs one crore by way of the sale of various products made available through its outlets, they said.

Meanwhile, the jail authorities have denied any special treatment or concessions were given to the visitors Dutt had on Monday - his sister Namrata and friend Manyata - as well as the team of lawyers from Mumbai as reported in the media.

"For us, Dutt happens to be just one of hundreds of jail inmates serving their sentence on conviction," Satish Mathur, Inspector-General, Prisons, said.

Dal-roti-subzi for dinner, toilet kit Dutt's only luxury

Mumbai: It was a frugal dinner of brinjal subzi, dal, four rotis and some rice for Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt on Wednesday after he spent his first night at Barrack No 1 of the Arthur Road Jail.

Dutt, who was brought to the jail on Tuesday evening after being sentenced to six years rigorous imprisonment in connection with the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, spent his first night in jail like any other inmate — minus fan, bedsheet or pillow.

However, he was provided a blanket for the night, which all prisoners are entitled to, a jail official said.

Lodged in a 90-sq-ft cell in Barrack No.1, Dutt had to wear the regulation prickly jail-provided white shirt and pyjamas. Though he was not permitted to bring in extra clothes like jeans, he was allowed some luxury — he could get in his full toilet kit.

The kit comprised of the actor's favourite London's premium brand Molten Brown toiletries like mouthwash, hair-wash and soap, a jail source revealed. But Dutt, 48, has to share his toilet and bathroom with eight other prisoners.

A chain smoker, Dutt is believed to have been allowed to take in a 10-pack of his favoured brand — Marlboro Lights. He has also carried combs, toothbrush and towels from Mumbai's ITC Grand Central.

"On Wednesday morning, Dutt had a frugal breakfast of sweetened tea and biscuits and a couple of slices of bread at 0730 hours. The regular jail lunch was at 1030 hours and it comprised a subzi, dal, four rotis and some rice. Dutt was served tea at 1500 hours and dinner immediately afterwards at 1530 hours, identical to what he had for lunch," a jail official said.

The actor was initially lodged in Barrack No 10. But he was shifted to No 1 for security reasons in a late-night development on Tuesday. "Sanjay Dutt was shifted to Barrack No 1 from No 10 late Tuesday night, taking his security into account," sources at the Arthur Road Jail said on Wednesday.

Barrack No 10 has high-profile inmates like extradited mobster Abu Salem and Mustafa Dossa, both of whom are being tried separately in the 1993 Mumbai serial bombings.

Incidentally, Dutt had asked the special Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Preventive) Act (TADA) judge Pramod Kode not to put him and his two associates, Yusuf Nulwala and Kersi Adajenia, in the infamous 'andda' (egg-shaped) cell of Arthur Road prison.

"The actor spent an uneventful night, while his two friends, Nulwala and Adajenia, were shifted to Barrack No 8," the jail source said.

Barrack No 1 has one big cell with around 30 prisoners and three small cells. Sanjay had one of the small cells. Praveen Mahajan, who is under trial for allegedly killing his brother and senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Pramod Mahajan, is in another. The third houses members of the fugitive mobster Chhota Shakeel's gang — Salim Fruit and Shahid Sheikh.

The Munnabhai star did not taste the jail dinner on Tuesday as the scheduled dinner time was over much before he was brought in. The cell in which Dutt is lodged is near the main door of the jail and is popularly known as the Buddha Barrack, as all aged undertrials were lodged there earlier.

The cell, which till recently housed a Mumbai civic official accused in a real estate deal connected with India's most wanted fugitive Dawood Ibrahim, was given a fresh coat of paint on Monday.

It has a toilet-cum-bathroom facility outside and a bucket of water is provided twice a day at 0400 hours and 1530 hours, jail sources said.

Dutt is to be in Barrack No 1 till Thursday, after which the authorities will decide where to shift him. Arthur Road Jail is meant for undertrials and has no facilities for rigorous imprisonment, like carpentry or weaving work that convicts have to undertake.

Don't lose faith in yourself, judge tells Sanjay Dutt

"Act till the age of 100, I have only taken away six years," Judge Kode of the special TADA court told Dutt hours after sentencing him to rigorous imprisonment for six years for illegal possession of weapons..

Rejecting actor Sanjay Dutt's emotional plea for time to surrender after he was today given a six-year jail term in the 1993 serial blasts case, Judge P D Kode told the star not to lose faith in himself as he was "number one" in films.

"Act till the age of 100, I have only taken away six years," Judge Kode of the special TADA court told Dutt hours after sentencing him to rigorous imprisonment for six years for illegal possession of weapons.

Noting that Dutt was "number 1 in the film line", Kode said that he had liked the actor's performances very much and advised him to have faith in himself.

Kode's comments came while he was hearing Dutt's plea for more time to surrender. After hearing his sentence earlier in the day, Dutt went to the witness box with folded hands and sought permission to speak in the court.

"Sir, I made a mistake 14 years ago. Please give me some time to surrender," said the actor who turned 48 on Sunday.

When the court took up the plea later, Dutt told the judge: "I am very tired, sir. I just need your blessings."

"Don't get perturbed for you have many years to go and work like the 'Mackenna's Gold' actor, Gregory Peck," Kode told the star in an informal conversation that lasted almost 10 minutes.

In an apparent attempt to cheer Dutt, Kode told him that he had seen the actor's performance with his late father Sunil Dutt in "Munnabhai MBBS". "In the film, your father looked much better than you," the judge said.

Dutt conducted himself in a restrained manner throughout the proceedings. His face looked gaunt, revealing that he must have had a sleepless night, but he did not break down.