Gloom over Sanjay Dutt's ancestral village

MANDOLI/HARYANA: Disappointment engulfed Sanjay Dutt's non-descript ancestral village of Mandoli after a Mumbai court sentenced him to six years rigorous imprisonment for illegal possession of arms in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case.

Eight kilometres from Yamunanagar, Mandoli falling on the Yamunanagar-Shaharanpur road was eagerly awaiting for the verdict.

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, alongwith 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.