Fans perform special prayers for Sanjay Dutt

Fans of Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt held special prayers here for relief to the imprisoned actor.

Jammu/Mumbai, Aug 2 : Fans of Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt held special prayers here for relief to the imprisoned actor.

"We are praying to god that the Supreme Court should provide relief to Dutt as he has not committed a major crime by keeping an arm without a license. The sentence awarded to him is very harsh," said Rajesh Gupta, Dutt's fan.

Dutt, 48, was sentenced to six years of rigorous imprisonment for illegal possession of arms in connection with the 1993 Mumbai blasts case, by a special TADA court.

His lawyers have said they would appeal against the sentence, which came after a mammoth trial of those blamed for the blasts that killed 257 people in Mumbai in 1993.

Meanwhile, Dutt's sentencing has shocked Bollywood industry, with many expressing dismay at the punishment.

Reacting to Dutt's sentencing, Bollywood director and Sanjay Dutt's close friend, Anubhav Sinha termed it as 'harsh'.

"Even a day's punishment to Sanju would sound harsh to us," he said.

Throughout his life, Dutt has frequently faced adversity, but usually triumphed, with millions of fans standing solidly behind him.

Through all his troubled years, Dutt has managed to stay at the top of Bollywood, his biggest hits being a two-series film in which he played a funny, do-gooder gangster.

The second of the two films saw him espousing the non-violent principles of Mahatma Gandhi.

ANI