Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam stated that Sanjay Dutt was shaking with fear after being sentenced in the weapons case, and opposed leniency despite his senior lawyers. Nikam clarified that Dutt was not a terrorist but expressed regret that he could have helped prevent the 1993 blasts. Despite their battle in the courtroom, the two now share a cordial relationship.
When actor Sanjay Dutt was arrested on charges of illegally procuring weapons from underworld people, some of the country’s top lawyers defended him in court. However, he was sent to jail, a sentence which prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam says came after he strongly opposed any leniency for the actor.
Recalling the day the sentence was announced, Nikam said Sanjay was shaking with fear, while the media made the prosecutor look like the villain as he pushed for a tough sentence.
Nikam says Sanjay Dutt was “naturedly afraid”.
Speaking to Lallantup, Nikam said, “Every time Sanjay Dutt cried, people held me responsible for it. The media can build a public perception about a person. When the court gave its verdict against Sanjay Dutt, he was naturally afraid.
“He was out on bail, but the court ordered him detained.”
Nikam explains his argument against going easy on Sanjay Dutt
Elaborating on the stand he took in court, Nikam said: “My argument was that Sanjay Dutt should not benefit from the Probation of Offenders Act. He was convicted under the Arms Act, even though the court acquitted him of conspiracy charges, and we had no objection to that. However, I argued that he should be sentenced to seven years imprisonment under the Arms Act. His lawyer contended that since it was his first crime, he should be released on bail.”
I objected because the gun he had was from the first shooter, Dawood Ibrahim. If he accepted a weapon from such a person, he would have been fully aware of his criminal background. The Offender Probation Act benefit is for first-time offenders who are truly innocent but are trapped in unfortunate circumstances. This was not the case with Sanjay Dutt.
Sanjay Dutt has hired the best lawyers in the country
Nikam went on to recall that Sanjay had hired some of the best legal minds in the country to represent him.
He added: “He used the best legal figures in this country when I was the public prosecutor. In the end, the court agreed with me and sentenced him to seven years in prison.”
Sanjay Dutt was “trembling” after the verdict
Explaining how Sanjay reacted after the verdict, Nikam said: “When the verdict was given, he was shaking. He kept saying: ‘No sir, I have not done anything wrong sir.’ I’ll be back.” He was practically trembling. I was standing close to him and said, “Sanju, the media is watching, please stand up straight.”
Then she asked the police to take him away. If I hadn’t motivated him at that moment, the media would have made me the villain.
Everyone was against me.”
Nikam clarifies that Sanjay Dutt is “not a terrorist”.
Even as he demanded strict punishment, Nikam made it clear that he never viewed Sanjay Dutt as a terrorist. “I want to make it clear that Sanjay Dutt is not a terrorist. It was his childhood. You can see it in his eyes. He was curious about weapons, and during that time a lot of people were fascinated by the underworld.
Being associated with them was seen as flexible, he said.
Sanjay Dutt could have prevented the 1993 blasts, says Nikam
However, Nikam pointed out that his real disappointment lay in the fact that Sanjay could have helped avert the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts. “When
Abu Salem
He came with a truck full of weapons, Sanjay Dutt kept some and returned the rest. My point is that if he had informed the police immediately, we could have stopped the bomb blasts. The plot could have been exposed, many lives could have been saved, and those involved could have been arrested.
That was my complaint against him. But he was not a terrorist.”
Sanjay Dutt and Nikam are enjoying cordial relations now
Despite their clashes in the courtroom, Nikam revealed that the two now share an amicable equation. “I met him after his release. I have met him several times since then. He respects me. One time, I was in a hotel when he came to me and spoke to me. I have no personal animosity against anyone,” he said.
