Maharashtra Governor K Sankaranarayanan has forwarded 60 representations and petitions received by him from various individuals and organisations both seeking and opposing clemency for Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, to the State Home Department.
From among the 60 petitioners whose representations that the Governor has forwarded to the State Home department, 25 have opposed remission or suspension in sentence to Sanjay Dutt in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, while the remaining 35 have rooted for gubernatorial pardon to the actor under Article 161 of the Constitution.
In a letter addressed to Maharashtra’s Additional Chief Secretary (Home Department), Secretary to the Governor Vikas Chandra Rastogi on Thursday sent copies of all the representations received by the Governor during the several days to the State Government.
Among the representations that the Governor has forwarded to the State Home department includes the one sent by Press Council of India chief Justice Markandey Katju and others.
The other prominent personalities, whose representations have been forwarded to the State Home department by Raj Bhavan, include: lawyer-activist Abha Singh and editor of Marathi newspaper “Navakal” Jayashree Khadilkar-Pande. Both Abha Singh and Jayashree have opposed gubernatorial pardon to Sanjay Dutt.
In her representation made to the Governor on March 26, Abha Singh urged Sankaran
arayanan not to take cognisance of the clemency appeal made by Katju on behalf of actor Sanjay Dutt. “The post of Chairman, Press Council of India, is a very powerful one, and often, it is very difficult for any government to undermine his recommendations on any issue,” she stated in her letter to the Governor.
Earlier on March 28, the Governor had forwarded representations received from former Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh and MP from Rampur Jaya Prada, MP to the State Home Department.
Informed Raj Bhavan sources said that like in the case of the representations of Amar Singh and Jaya Prada that he had forwarded to the State government earlier, the Governor has neither called for any report from the state home department nor has he made any remark in the representations made to him by 60 individuals and organisations, whose petitions he forwarded the Additional chief secretary ( Home) on Thursday.
Under the Constitution, the Governor has powers to grant pardon to persons convicted of any offence “against any law relating to a matter to which the executive power of the State extends”.
The Article 161 of the Constitution states: “The Governor of a State shall have the power to grant pardons, reprieves, respites or remissions of punishment or to suspend, remit or commute the sentence of any person convicted of any offence against any law relating to a matter to which the executive power of the State extends”.
On his part, Sanjay Dutt has gone on record saying that he would not seek pardon and would surrender to the police well within the time-frame set by the Supreme Court. Talking to media persons on March 28, Sanjay had said: “I respect the law. I have the highest respect for what the decision is and I will abide by all the terms and conditions the honourable Supreme Court has put on me. Honourable Supreme Court has given me time to surrender and I will surrender at that time”.
“I have not applied for pardon. There are many other people who deserve pardon. With folded hands want to tell the media, the honourable citizens of my country and senior media people that when I am not going for a pardon there is no debate about it,” Sanjay had added.