AP News, November 29th, 2007
Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt was released from prison on bail Thursday, pending an appeal of his conviction for possessing illegal weapons, an official said.
Dutt, who has served nearly 20 months of a six-year sentence, walked out of the Yerwada Prison in the western city of Pune, said Rajendra Damne, the prison superintendent. Television footage showed Dutt waving to fans before getting into a car.
The Supreme Court in New Delhi ordered his release on Tuesday pending its decision on Dutt's appeal of both his conviction and sentence. He was not released immediately because of bureaucratic delays.
He posted bond of $13,000, Damne told The Associated Press.
Dutt was sentenced to six years in prison by a trial court in Mumbai in July for possessing three automatic rifles and a pistol that had been supplied to him by men subsequently convicted in the 1993 Mumbai bombings that killed 257 people.
He was originally arrested on suspicion of involvement in the bombings, but was acquitted of terrorism and conspiracy charges.
Dutt says he knew nothing about the bomb plot, claiming he got the guns to protect his family after receiving threats during sectarian riots in Mumbai. His mother was Muslim, and his father Hindu.
He served 18 months in jail immediately after his 1994 arrest. Between his stretches in prison, he has spent 12 years free on bail, and starred in at least half of the 100-plus movies of his acting career.
His father, Sunil Dutt, and mother, Nargis Dutt, are also well-known Bollywood actors.
