When actor Sanjay Dutt was arrested for illegally getting weapons from underworld people, some of the country’s top lawyers defended him in court. Still, he was sent to prison, a verdict that prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam says came after he strongly opposed any leniency for the actor. Recalling the day the verdict was announced, Nikam said Sanjay was trembling with fear, while the media made the prosecutor look like the villain for pushing for strict punishment.
Sanjay Dutt was “naturally scared”, says Nikam
Talking to Lallantop, Nikam said, “Every time Sanjay Dutt cried, people held me responsible for that. The media can build a public perception about someone. When the court pronounced its verdict against Sanjay Dutt, he was naturally scared. He was out on bail, but the court ordered that he be taken into custody.”
Nikam explains his argument against leniency for Sanjay Dutt
Detailing the stance he took in court, Nikam said, “My argument was that Sanjay Dutt should not get the benefit of the Probation of Offenders Act. He was convicted under the Arms Act, though the court acquitted him of conspiracy charges, and we had no objection to that. However, I argued that he should be sentenced to seven years under the Arms Act. His lawyer contended that since it was his first offence, he should be released on bond. I objected because the pistol he possessed had come from the number one shooter of Dawood Ibrahim. If he accepted a weapon from such a person, he was fully aware of his criminal background. The benefit of the Probation of Offenders Act is meant for first-time offenders who are genuinely innocent but get trapped in unfortunate circumstances. That was not the case with Sanjay Dutt.”
Sanjay Dutt hired the country’s finest lawyers
Nikam went on to recall that Sanjay had brought in some of the country’s finest legal minds to represent him. “He engaged the very best legal luminaries of this country while I was the prosecutor. Ultimately, the court agreed with me and sentenced him to seven years in prison,” he said.
Sanjay Dutt was “trembling” after the verdict
Explaining how Sanjay reacted after the verdict, Nikam said, “When the judgment was delivered, he was trembling. He kept saying, ‘No sir, I didn’t do anything wrong, sir. I will come back.’ He was virtually shaking. I was standing nearby and told him, ‘Sanju, the media is watching, please stand straight.’ Then I asked the police to take him away. Had I not motivated him at that moment, the media would have made me the villain. Everyone was against me.”
Sanjay Dutt is “not a terrorist”, clarifies Nikam
Even as he pushed for a strict sentence, Nikam made it clear that he never viewed Sanjay Dutt as a terrorist. “I want to clarify that Sanjay Dutt is not a terrorist. It was his childishness. You could see it in his eyes. He was curious about weapons, and during that time many people were fascinated by the underworld. Being associated with them was seen as a flex,” he said.
Sanjay Dutt could have prevented 1993 blasts, says Nikam
However, Nikam noted that his real disappointment lay in the fact that Sanjay could have helped avert the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts. “When Abu Salem came with a truck full of weapons, Sanjay Dutt kept some and returned the rest. My point is that if he had informed the police immediately, we could have stopped the bomb blasts. The conspiracy could have been exposed, many lives would have been saved, and those involved could have been arrested. That was my grievance against him. But he was not a terrorist.”
Sanjay Dutt and Nikam share cordial ties now
Despite their courtroom clashes, Nikam revealed that the two now share a cordial equation. “I met him after he was released. I have met him several times since. He respects me. Once, I was at a hotel when he came up to me and spoke with me. I have no personal enmity against anyone,” he said.
