Sanjay Dutt's early release from jail okay, says Bombay HC
Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Thursday ruled that there was no violation of rules by the Maharashtra government in releasing actor Sanjay Dutt over eight months before completion of his five-year jail sentence in a case related to the March 1993 Mumbai blasts.
The court also said that the state government had successfully backed its claims on impartiality in the case with valid documents submitted by the Home Department.
A division bench of Justice S.C. Dharmadhikari and Justice Bharati Dange delivered the verdict while disposing off a PIL challenging the remission in Dutt's sentence, as also the "frequent parole and furlough" leaves granted to the actor while serving his sentence in Yerawada Central Jail, Pune.
"We found nothing contrary in the records submitted by the Home Department and the explanation offered. No violations or abuse of discretionary powers were detected," the bench said.
Dutt, who was sentenced to undergo the jail term after being convicted under the Arms Act for illegal possession and destruction of an AK-56 rifle, had spent around one year and four months in prison before trial and another two and half years as a convict between June 2013-February 2016.
During his incarceration in Yerawada Central Jail, the actor was granted bail or furlough for a little over five months on various grounds.
Finally, he walked out a free man on February 25, 2016, eight and half months before completion of his sentence, with the remainder remitted on the basis of his "exemplary conduct" while in jail.
SOCIAL ACTIVIST’S STAND
Mumbai activist Pradeep Bhalekar, who filed the PIL, had claimed that while there were many other inmates with exemplary conduct, only Dutt was favoured by the jail authorities for granting parole/furlough.
Even as the state government denied the charge by the petitioner, the court said the state government must come up with a scheme to ensure that henceforth all convicts' applications for parole or furlough are decided expeditiously and in a transparent manner.
It pointed out that the public or the inmates should not gather the impression that the authorities grant favours in allowing them parole and furlough.
COURT WARNS
The court also warned that PILs must not target any individual or become a "publicity" interest litigation, since the allegations made in the PIL were not substantiated and the matter deserved to be closed.
The state government had already submitted full details of the dates and number of days Dutt stayed out of jail on parole or furlough, the reasons for granting the leave and the procedures followed.
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In phone call, PM Modi, US President Trump resolve to promote global peace, security
New Delhi, Jan 27 (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump on Monday vowed to work towards a "trusted" partnership between India and US and advance global peace and security in their first phone conversation since the American leader's inauguration last week.
Modi and Trump exchanged views on global issues, including the situation in West Asia and Ukraine, and deliberated on measures to boost bilateral cooperation in areas such as technology, trade, investment, energy and defence, an Indian readout said.
The two leaders agreed to meet soon, it said.
"Delighted to speak with my dear friend President @realDonaldTrump @POTUS.
Congratulated him on his historic second term," Modi said on 'X'.
"We are committed to a mutually beneficial and trusted partnership. We will work together for the welfare of our people and towards global peace, prosperity, and security," he said.
In a statement, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said the two leaders "reaffirmed" their commitment for a "mutually beneficial and trusted partnership".
"They discussed various facets of the wide-ranging bilateral Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and measures to advance it, including in the areas of technology, trade, investment, energy and defence," it said.
"The two leaders exchanged views on global issues, including the situation in West Asia and Ukraine, and reiterated their commitment to work together for promoting global peace, prosperity and security," the PMO said.
"The leaders agreed to remain in touch and meet soon at an early mutually convenient date," it added.
It is not immediately known whether the issues of immigration and tariff figured in the talks.
Like in many countries, there have been some concerns in India as well over the Trump administration's approach on immigration and tariff.
President Trump has already talked about slapping "100 per cent tariffs" on the BRICS grouping, a bloc that includes India too.
It is learnt that the phone call was initiated from the Indian side.
External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said last week that India is looking for "bolder, bigger and a more ambitious" relationship with the US and indicated its readiness to work with the Trump administration to address issues like illegal immigration and trade.
The phone conversation between Modi and Trump came six days after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held separate meetings with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz in Washington.
Jaishankar also attended the Quad foreign ministers' meeting in the American capital. The meeting was the Trump administration's first foreign policy engagement.
At a media briefing in Washington on January 22, Jaishankar said his meetings signalled that the Trump administration "prioritising" the bilateral relationship with India.
The external affairs minister also said that there was agreement between the two sides about the need to be bolder, bigger, and more ambitious about the bilateral relationship.
Asked about the Trump administration's policy on tariff and immigration, Jaiswal said on Friday that India is looking at addressing issues in a constructive manner.
"Our approach has always been to address issues in a constructive manner which is in keeping with the interests of both countries," he had said at his weekly media briefing last week.
"We remain in close communication with the US administration and would like to continue to work towards strengthening our economic partnership further," he said.
India is also keen to continue cooperation under the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) that was launched during the tenure of the Biden administration.
