‘Ladka bevakoof hai’: Former cop recalls Sunil Dutt's emotional appeal to save Sanjay Dutt in 1993 Mumbai blast case

BOllywood worker Sanjay Dutt was accused of illegal ownership of arms and was later convicted for possessing a 9mm side arm, an AK-56 go, deal grenades, and ammunition. In a recent podcast with Hussain Zaidi, former Mumbai Police Commissioner MN Singh revisited the case and recalled how Sanjay’s father, actor-politician Sunil Dutt, had requested him to save his son.Former police commissioner MN Singh recalls Sunil Dutt's emotional plea for Sanjay DuttMN Singh said that Sanjay had spoken to Dawood Ibrahim and got the weapons delivered to his house. He added that the police were shocked to learn that Sanjay had accepted the delivery, especially given Sunil Dutt’s reputation as a respected and upright individual. However, he maintained that Sanjay could not be let off simply because he was a film star.He added, "Then we summoned him and questioned him. He confessed to his actions. He said, ‘I have taken them, but it was a mistake.’ When asked what prompted him to associate with gangsters, he said, ‘Around the time of the riots, I was receiving threats, so I got them delivered to my home. It was my mistake.’ I then told him, ‘You already have multiple licensed weapons, wasn’t that enough? There was also police security outside your house. Despite all this, you took AK-56 rifles, bullets, and grenades. These are not things one keeps for personal safety.’ After this, he admitted his involvement, and we arrested him.”He further recalled the pressure he faced during the investigation. "During that time, I was under pressure from several quarters, including Sunil Dutt, who would often meet me and request me to save his son, saying, ‘Singh saab bachaiye, Ladka bevakoof hai galti kar di’ (Singh saab save him, the boy is foolish, he made a mistake). I told him it was extremely difficult for me, especially since Sanjay was a public figure and the entire world knew about the case. I could not dismiss the charges. He requested that I not invoke the TADA (Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act), saying his son was not a terrorist. I agreed that he was not a conventional terrorist, but he had helped terrorists, which is also a serious crime."At the time, Sunil Dutt was an active politician with a strong public reputation. The 1993 Bombay serial blasts claimed 257 lives and left more than 1,400 people injured. In connection with the case, Sanjay Dutt was convicted under the Arms Act for illegal possession of weapons. Although he was originally handed a five-year sentence, he served around three-and-a-half years in prison before being released from Yerwada Central Jail in 2016 after receiving remission for good conduct.About Sanjay Dutt’s upcoming workSanjay was most recently seen in Raja Shivaji, which received a mixed response from critics but has been holding steady at the box office. He will next be seen in Aakhri Sawal. Directed by Abhijeet Mohan Warang, the film also stars Namashi Chakraborty, Amit Sadh and Sameera Reddy in key roles. It is scheduled to release in theatres on May 8.