No decision yet on shifting Sanjay Dutt from Arthur Road jail

Actor Sanjay Dutt is lodged in the highly secured Arthur jail in Mumbai and the Maharashtra police says it will take at least 15 days to decide whether he will continue to be lodged in the same jail or be shifted elsewhere. Dutt who is currently lodged in the 'anda' (egg-shaped) cell after he surrendered last week to serve his sentence in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case. The police said that the actor was restless at nights, reading religious books.

"We will take some more time to take a call on whether to shift Dutt or not. He will not be shifted anywhere in the near future," Additional Director General of Police (Prisons) Meera Borwankar said. The delay in shifting Dutt is probably because the prison department has been gathering information such as number of convicts, security conditions, presence of inmates linked to underworld in various jails in the state like those located in Taloja (Navi Mumbai), Yerwada (Pune), Thane, Nagpur and Nashik. "The authorities are studying various aspects, particularly security ground, before taking any decision on the actor's shifting," the jail official added. Though there are some convicts lodged in the city jail, usually it is used to house under-trials. Dutt still has 42 more months to serve in jail as his conviction in the 1993 bomb blast case was upheld by the Supreme Court. The Apex court had earlier reduced his sentence by one year (to five years from six) in March this year. He has already served 18 months of his sentence.