Sanjay Dutt banned from contesting elections

Actor Sanjay Dutt who had planned to contest Lok Sabha elections from Lucknow for the Samajwadi Party has been banned by the Supreme Court. The Court also refused to suspend his conviction in a criminal case.

The Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan said they did not find the case strong enough to put a stay on his conviction. Dutt has been sentenced to six years in jail by a Mumbai anti-terror court hearing the 1993 serial blasts in the city.

As per electoral laws, a person convicted for a criminal offence and sentenced to jail for more than two years is barred from running for elections.

The Samajwadi Party headed by Amar Singh was sure of promoting Dutt as their candidate from Lucknow and had therefore already begun campaigning in the region. And this ruling will definitely put a dent in their ambitions.

However, Singh has also previously announced that if Dutt failed to receive relief from the Court, they would even look at Maanyata Dutt contesting the election for the SP.