When actor Sanjay Dutt was arrested for illegally obtaining weapons from the underworld, some of the country’s top lawyers defended him in court. Even so, he was sent to prison, a verdict that the prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam says he strongly opposed any leniency for the actor. Recalling the day the verdict was announced, Nikam said Sanjay was shaking with fear, while the media made the prosecutor look like the bad guy for pushing for a stiff punishment.
Sanjay Dutt was “naturally scared”, says Nikam
Speaking to Lallantop, Nikam said, “Every time Sanjay Dutt cried, people held me responsible for it. The media can create a public perception about someone. When the court pronounced its verdict against Sanjay Dutt, I was naturally scared. He was on bail, but the court ordered his arrest.”
Nikam explains his case against leniency for Sanjay Dutt
Elaborating on the stand he took in court, Nikam said, “My argument was that Sanjay Dutt should not benefit from the Probation of Offenders Act. He was convicted under the Arms Act, although the court acquitted him of the conspiracy charges, and we had no objection. However, I argued that he should be sentenced to seven years as his law required him to be a first-time convict. on bail, I objected because the gun in his possession came from shooter number one Dawood Ibrahim. If he accepted a gun from such a person, he was fully aware of his criminal record. The benefit of the Offenders’ Parole Act is intended for first-time offenders who are truly innocent but get caught up in unfortunate circumstances. That was not the case with Sanjay Dutt.”
Sanjay Dutt hired the best lawyers in the country
Nikam recalled that Sanjay had brought some of the best legal minds in the country to represent him. “He hired the best legal luminaries in this country while I was the prosecutor. In the end, the court agreed with me and sentenced him to seven years in prison,” he said.
Sanjay Dutt was ‘shaking’ after the verdict
Explaining how Sanjay reacted after the verdict, Nikam said, “When the sentence was pronounced, he was shaking. He kept saying, ‘No sir, I have done nothing wrong, sir.’ I’ll be back.” He was practically shaking. I was nearby and told him, “Sanju, the media is watching, please stand up straight.” Then I asked the police to take it away. If I hadn’t motivated him at the time, the media would have made me the villain. Everyone was against me.”
Sanjay Dutt “is not a terrorist,” Nikam clarifies
Although he pressed for a strict sentence, Nikam made it clear that he never saw Sanjay Dutt as a terrorist. “I want to make it clear that Sanjay Dutt is not a terrorist. It was his childhood. 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 the 1993 blasts, says Nikam
However, Nikam noted that his real disappointment lies in the fact that Sanjay could have helped prevent the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts. Abu Salem he came with a truckload of weapons, Sanjay Dutt kept some and returned the rest. What I think is that if I had informed the police immediately, we could have stopped the bomb blasts. The conspiracy could have been exposed, many lives could have been saved, and those involved could have been arrested. That was my complaint against him. But he was not a terrorist.”
Sanjay Dutt and Nikam share cordial ties now
Despite clashes in court, Nikam revealed that the two now share a cordial equation. “I met him after he was released. I have met him several times since then. He respects me. Once, I was in a hotel when he approached me and spoke to me. I have no personal enmity against anyone,” he said.