Sanjay Dutt has reportedly got his parole extended by one more month. The actor, who was out on parole owing to his wife Manyata Dutt’s illness, was supposed to get back to the Yerwada jail in Pune on February, 21. However, the actor’s request for a further extension was approved yet again.
Dutt had secured the parole on December 21, 2013 from Pune’s Yerawada Central Jail, which was extended to 21st of February as Manyata was to undergo a surgery. This time again, Dutt requested the parole to be extended for another month in order to be by his wife’s side- who is recovering from the surgery.

Manyata was reportedly suffering from multiple ailments of the heart and liver and was admitted to Global Hospital in Parel, Mumbai, in January.

Apart from the parole on the grounds of his wife’s sickness, the actor had earlier taken his first parole in October as he had fallen sick. The parole period was for 2 weeks which was extended for 15 days.

The actor surrendered himself before the TADA court on May 16, 2013 and has been serving his remaining 42-month jail term after being convicted by the Supreme Court for illegal possession of arms related to the 1993 Mumbai blasts case.

Observing that it was the prerogative of Maharashtra government to accept or reject the Adarsh housing scam inquiry commission findings, the Bombay High Court on Tuesday refused to hear an application seeking prosecution of the state cabinet for allegedly shielding the accused in the scam.

Former journalist Ketan Tirodkar had filed the application in December last seeking directions to CBI to consider the judicial commission’s report and also for CBI to prosecute the state cabinet for attempting to shield the accused by not accepting the panel’s findings.
Tirodkar, who had earlier filed a PIL seeking a CBI probe into the Adarsh Housing Society case and to invoke the anti-benami transactions law, questioned Maharashtra government’s decision to reject the Commission’s findings after it had spent more than Rs. 7 crore on it.

“The Commission’s findings are equivalent to a charge sheet pinpointing the illegal favours and misuse of official position on the part of ministers and bureaucrats,” the application said.

It added CBI, which is already investigating the case, had the powers to take cognisance of the recommendations and findings of the Commission’s report and a “duty to prosecute the persons sabotaging investigations and shielding the accused”.

A division bench of Justices PV Hardas and AS Gadkari, however, observed that it is the government’s prerogative to accept or reject the findings of a Commission set up by it.

Following this, Tirodkar sought to withdraw the application.

Social activist and Aam Aadmi Party candidate for upcoming Lok Sabha elections from Mumbai north-east seat, Medha Patkar said her decision to enter the electoral fray was very tough.

“My decision and consent to become a candidate for the AAP in the Lok Sabha elections was very tough owing to a number of factors,” the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader told.

Citing reasons for not taking the plunge earlier, Patkar said AAP itself was in initial stage although it had formed a short-lived government in New Delhi and apart from NBA, she is involved in several other agitations.

The NBA activist is also a Ramon Magsaysay Award winner.

The 59-year-old social activist said that people like her were almost forced into political arena due to the present-day leaders, who are “corrupt” and “disconnected from reality” as well as the electorate.

“Many of them after getting elected to the Parliament do not even bother to visit the constituencies they represent,” she alleged.

Patkar said she understood that if voted to power, the road ahead would involve a lot of hard work. However, support of people from all quarters would help her to some extent, she said.

Patkar is pitted against sitting MP Sanjay Patil of the NCP from the Mumbai North-East constituency.

The prosecution on Tuesday closed the Shakti mill telephone operator gang-rape case of July 31, 2013 as it has examined all the witnesses.

“We have closed the case today and the court will start recording statements of the accused under section 313 of Criminal Procedure Code on Friday”, special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam told.

In a statement under section 313 of CrPC, the accused is given a chance to explain the circumstances and the allegations against him/her.

Nikam said the prosecution has examined 332 witnesses, including the telephone operator, to strengthen their case.

He also added that the photo-journalist gang rape case was at the fag end with only 8 to 10 witnesses remaining to be examined.

Police had arrested Mohammed Ashfaq Sheikh, Mohamed Kasim Hafiz Sheikh alias Kasim Bangali, Salim Ansari, Vijay Jadhav and a minor for gang rape of the 18-year-old telephone operator on July 31, 2013.

The police on October 8 filed a 362-page chargesheet against four accused in connection with telephone operator gang rape case. The minor’s case was separated.

In another case, a journalist, who was interning with an English magazine here, was gangraped by five persons, including a juvenile, when she had gone to the deserted mill compound with her male colleague on an assignment on August 22, 2013.

The accused – Vijay Jadhav, Kasim Bengali, Salim Ansari and Siraj Rehman – have been charged with rape, conspiracy, common intention, unnatural sex and charges under Information Technology Act, while the trial of the juvenile was separated.

The Mumbai crime branch had on September 19 filed a chargesheet against the four accused.