Breaking news!! Why did then he never use this as his defense?
Let me explain on his behalf. Because he thought his honest confessions and his cooperation and respect towards the law of the nation in the last one and a half decade would help him get a mild punishment. But probably he never suspected that Gandhigiri had the ultimate locha on his brain. Otherwise, even an ordinary Indian knows that our legal system does not have any regards for honesty or good/bad public conduct. Otherwise, how can the goonda politicians continue enacting laws after killing innocent people in thousands, and even after breaking each others' noses in full public view?
What our legal system wants primarily are evidences and witnesses. It had evidence: Sanjay was found possessing illegal arms by the same Shanti Rakhyaks whose failure to protect ordinary citizens during the communal riots in Mumbai Sanjay implied as reason to keep the arms. He needed to protect his sisters. And it was no big deal. He probably knew that a former Punjab police chief presented a similar weapon to Saawan Kumar Tak and Sridevi when she came shooting in Chandigarh and which led Bollywood to look for AK 56s as trophies (Sinfully Emotional/Sujata Anandan/Hindustan Times/August 04, 2007). Gandhibhakt Munna, however, through his trial, never spilled the beans on others in Bollywood.
The judiciary had witnesses also: The confessions of the very masterminds who wanted to wipe out the city. What better people of integrity and character you need to multiply the devil's numbers?
What else? Justice Kode said "the character of the accused is very important while considering if they deserved relief under the POA Act. He pointed out that apart from possessing the weapons, Dutt was a close acquaintance of Anees Ibrahim and attended a party hosted by Dawood Ibrahim in Dubai." (HT Report)
Besides, Justice Kode found Sanjay an immoral person: "I must say for every citizen, laws of the nation shall be respected. If you don't, I don't expect you to be called a moral person," Kode said. (HT Report)
"Kode also observed it was an "eminently dangerous act" as the weapon possessed by Dutt was capable of mass destruction though the accused had not used the weapons." (HT Report)
"Regarding the nature of the crime, Kode said generally, crime happens at the hands of any one man but Dutt drew another person to commit a crime which showed "high element of criminality." Kode, however, said the crimes committed by Dutt and his friends Adajania and Nulwalla were not "anti-social, ghastly, inhuman, immoral or pre-planned" and did not cause any harm to the general public." (HT Report)
Let's assume that Justice Kode is blind to the facts (established by photographs and videos) that many other noble citizens earlier gave company to the D-gang. For Sanjay, a show-biz person, these interactions may be based on purely commercial ground and not on any ideological ground.
If Sanjay, with his weapon of mass destruction, can be a threat to society, what about the royal Raja Bhaiyas and saintly Sadhu Yadavs, who with their lakhs of mobley-motley crooked crews can wipe out the entire humanity? Don't forget that the fact of how many bullets were recovered along with the rifles from Sanjay's house is not yet out and without bullets, rifle can't be weapon of mass destruction!
Well, let's give the poor judge benefit of doubt again. After all, he is holding the Insaaf Ka Taraazu blindfolded!
And respect for the law? That's the funniest thing he could have evoked minus his wigs. Does not he read newspapers or watch TV? May be to avoid getting influenced by the trials by media!
Consider his remark on the crimes itself: these were not "anti-social, ghastly, inhuman, immoral or pre-planned". What was the judge then looking for? Counter evidence that Sanjay kept arms, albeit illegally, to kill rabbits or some mad dogs, an act which can't be called anti-social?
So, here is this poor blogger trying to provide him that. Yes, I can arrange for you, my lord, Sanjay's letters stating his motive for keeping arms. I can give you 15-years old letters written in 15-years old papers with 15-years old Sulekha inks and I can manage the stamps as well. Will that suffice? Should I pour a few drops of Sanjay's hot, maddening adrenalin too??
