Dutt's ancestral village prays, sympathises with him

JAILBIRD: The entire Mandoli village in Haryana sympathised with Sanjay Dutt after he was sentenced.

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Mandoli (Haryana): Disappointment engulfed this non-descript ancestral village Mandoli of actor Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt after a Mumbai court sentenced him to six years rigorous imprisonment for illegal possession of arms in 1193 Mumbai blasts case.

Eight kilometre from Yamunanagar, the Mandoli village falling on the Yamunanagar-Shaharanpur road was eagerly awaiting for the TADA court verdict in Mumbai.

While several villagers remained glued to their television sets to get the latest on Dutt, others preferred to offer prayers in temple and at their houses for a verdict in favour of their 'hero'.

Saint of Radhakrishan Temple, Ramanand, said: "We offered prayers since morning for a lenient view by the judge against Dutt. However, it was unfortunate that Dutt got the punishment." He said he was confident that the actor might get some relief from the Supreme Court.

"I was shell-shocked," former village head Satnam Singh said while reacting to the court order. "It is a very unfortunate moment for all of us," he said. However, most of villagers could not recall when they last saw Dutt in the village.

Some, however, said Sanjay, along with his other family members, was in his ancestral village after the death of his father Sunil Dutt a few years back.

Village head Amar Singh, who was visibly upset over the court order, however, said: "None is above law."

"We accept the court order... but the entire village is with Dutt in this hour of crisis," he said. Mandoli has a population of about 1700, he said, adding the entire village sympathises with Dutt.

In Chandigarh, Bollywood starlet Monica Bedi, recently released from jail after being acquitted in a passport forgery case, sympathised with Dutt and said she was confident he would get justice from the Supreme Court.

Bedi, who is spending her time at her ancestral village Chhabewal in Hoshiarpur district of Punjab, said Dutt's punishment would be a 'big loss' for Bollywood. "I'm confident Dutt will get justice from the Supreme Court," she added.