Kama Of Kingstone

Actor Sanjay Dutt walked out of the Yerawada Central Jail, along with his friend and fellow convict Yusuf Nulwalla, on Thursday morning. A private chartered plane was waiting for him at Lohegaon airport, about 3 km from the prison.

Sporting a well maintained beard, big tika on the forehead and white Pathani shirt and blue jeans, Dutt came out of the heavy prison doors at 9.45 am. Both Dutt and Nulwalla walked down to a van with a Pune registration number which was parked in front of the prison.

Barring media persons, no fans of the actor were present near the prison to see him off, unlike the first time when he was brought to the prison on August 2 and later released on August 23. However, the police authorities had stepped up security on the road leading to the prison to avoid any trouble.

The actor was released two days after the Supreme Court granted him bail in the case.

As he walked down to the entrance of the prison, Dutt looked skyward. He looked relieved and waved to media persons before boarding the van. However, despite repeated requests, he refused to speak to reporters.

Dutt was lodged in the prison on October 22 when he surrendered before the Tada court after securing a copy of its judgment in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case. Dutt had stayed in the prison for 22 days in August and was released from the jail on August 23, when SC had granted him interim bail.

Jail guard Milind Dinde (31) was suspended for shaking hands with Dutt when he was released last time, on August 23, and eight others had been issued show cause notices. Dinde was later reinstated after he submitted an apology to Ravindra Kedari, deputy inspector general, prison.