Sanjay Dutt to be released from jail on February 27

Reports say Bollywood actor has been provided reprieve in the duration of his punishment

Incarcerated Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, imprisoned in an arms case related to the 1993 Mumbai attacks, will be released from jail on February 27.

Dutt’s five-year sentence for his involvement in the 1993 Mumbai blasts was confirmed by the Indian Supreme Court in March 2013.

According to Indian media reports, the actor has been provided a reprieve in the duration of his punishment and will be released next month. Earlier, sources had said the actor would be released by March 7 after completing the remaining 42-month period of his sentence.



Sanjay was acquitted of terror charges under the TADA, but found guilty of possessing illegal arms acquired ostensibly to protect his family during the communal conflagration that engulfed Mumbai after the demolition of the Babri Mosque on December 6, 1992.

Following apex court orders, his bail was cancelled and he was ordered to surrender within four weeks, which he complied with on May 16, 2013 and was lodged in Arthur Road Central Jail.

A week later, he was shifted to the Yeravada Central Jail, Pune, where he has been since.

Of the five-year sentence, the actor already served 18 months as an under-trial and was required to undergo another 42 months which are now on the verge of completion.



In between serving time, he was granted either parole or furlough on various grounds, attracting a lot of criticism from various quarters, while some prominent personalities demanded his release from jail.

This article originally appeared on NDTV.