Diggy Raja comes out in defense of Sanjay Dutt

Rashmun wrote:Initially I found the idea of pardoning Sanjay Dutt completely abhorrent but now I confess I am keeping an open mind on this issue.

Rishi wrote:

Rashmun wrote:Initially I found the idea of pardoning Sanjay Dutt completely abhorrent but now I confess I am keeping an open mind on this issue.

If that is the case, why shouldn't the killers of Rajiv Gandhi be pardoned? After all guys like Perarivaalan was of an impressionable age and were misled by Prabhakaran.

Rashmun wrote:Congress leader Digvijaya Singh Saturday came out in support of the demand to pardon Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, who has been sentenced to five year's imprisonment under the Arms Act in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case.

He said when Dutt had committed the crime, of illegally possessing weapons like AK-56 rifle and ammunition, he was of "an impressionable age" (he was 33 at the time) and there was an impression that his father, Sunil Dutt, was being "targeted for supporting the cause of Muslims".

"I agree with the demand. I have total sympathy for him," Singh told The Sunday Express. "Issue is that he was convicted under the Arms Act for which he has already been in jail for 18 months. He is not a habitual criminal. He is the son of a very eminent person. Sanjay Dutt was then at an impressionable age and there was this impression that his father was being targeted for supporting the Muslim cause. So he may have done it."

Asked why law should have different yardsticks for Dutt and other convicts, he said, "Law is for everyone. If he is pardoned, that will be under law only. There have been many instances where people have been pardoned under this law."

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/digvijaya-says-pardon-dutt-at-33--was-young-/1092544/0

Kris wrote:

Rashmun wrote:Congress leader Digvijaya Singh Saturday came out in support of the demand to pardon Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, who has been sentenced to five year's imprisonment under the Arms Act in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case.

He said when Dutt had committed the crime, of illegally possessing weapons like AK-56 rifle and ammunition, he was of "an impressionable age" (he was 33 at the time) and there was an impression that his father, Sunil Dutt, was being "targeted for supporting the cause of Muslims".

"I agree with the demand. I have total sympathy for him," Singh told The Sunday Express. "Issue is that he was convicted under the Arms Act for which he has already been in jail for 18 months. He is not a habitual criminal. He is the son of a very eminent person. Sanjay Dutt was then at an impressionable age and there was this impression that his father was being targeted for supporting the Muslim cause. So he may have done it."

Asked why law should have different yardsticks for Dutt and other convicts, he said, "Law is for everyone. If he is pardoned, that will be under law only. There have been many instances where people have been pardoned under this law."

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/digvijaya-says-pardon-dutt-at-33--was-young-/1092544/0

>>>> I don't think he is a habitual criminal either and I can even buy the impressionable age angle with him (yes, 33 for him would have been impressionable- he is not an overly bright fellow). The flip side of this is there are several guys who have been convicted who would fall under the same category. I also think forgiveness on this basis compromises one of the bases of the law which is deterrence. Maybe he can get the time reduced for good behavior, if that yardstick is also used for others. I am not sure of this is routine in the Indian system.