Anna Hazare not in favour of pardoning Sanjay Dutt

PUNE: Even as the chorus for clemency for actor Sanjay Dutt grew louder, social activist Anna Hazare today disapproved of the demand to pardon him in a case related to the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts.

"The judiciary has given its verdict. It is not proper to interfere with the court judgement," he told reporters here when asked to comment on the pleadings from various quarters and the Bollywood for Dutt's pardon.

On March 21, the Supreme Court upheld the conviction of the 53-year-old actor under the Arms Act and sentenced him to jail for five years.

The veteran Gandhian, however, maintained that "those who love him have the right to seek pardon for him."

Besides Press Council of India chief Markandey Katju, a former Supreme Court Judge, some prominent personalties of Bollywood have sought pardon for the filmstar.