Furlough confusion sees Sanjay Dutt fly to Pune only to return home

MUMBAI: In a day of drama, actor Sanjay Dutt first left his Bandra home to return to his jail cell in Pune since prison authorities had failed to take any decision on his furlough extension plea, only to arrive there and be told it was not necessary for him to surrender just yet.
The actor, who had taken an afternoon flight out of Mumbai on Thursday, was seated in a return flight by 7.30pm along with advocate Subhash Jadhav.
Dutt who reached Yerwada jail around 4pm at the end of his initial 14-day furlough left less than an hour later as confusion reigned over whether his surrender was necessary. Prison authorities had neither approved nor rejected his extension plea, made on December 27.
He had returned home on a two-week leave on December 24, after his plea for furlough was granted. The leave is a yearly feature for most category of convicts to ensure they maintain contact with society and their families. Unlike parole, it requires no reason, and can be extended after two weeks for another two weeks and with reason for up to 120 days.
Sources said a week-old circular issued by prison authorities says a convict on furlough can avail of an inbuilt extension of another two weeks and would be considered an offender of the rules if he or she fails to show up in prison on the 29th day.
Dutt’s lawyer Hitesh Jain later told TOI: “Technically, action cannot be initiated against a convict out on furlough till the 29th day, which means after the initial 14 days plus another 14 days. But Dutt is paying a price for being a celebrity. As a law-abiding citizen, he decided to return to prison after 14 days ended pending his plea for an extension of another two weeks.”
He further said Mumbai police had not even received his application file from Pune prison authorities though the plea was filed 10 days ago. “It is as if prison authorities did not want to pass any order on the application. We have now written to the authorities and asked them to inform about the decision either ways—approval or rejection —and said Dutt will surrender within 24 hours if it is rejected.”
Lawyer Jadhav said when they reached the prison, there was confusion. News had spread that the minister of state for home said surrender is not necessary till police give their report and authorities decide Dutt’s furlough extension plea. The actor is serving a five-year term of rigorous imprisonment for possessing and destroying a prohibited weapon, an AK-56 rifle, before the 1993 Mumbai blasts.