‘Sanjay Dutt was trembling with fear’: Ujjwal Nikam on what actor said after he was sentenced

Explaining his stand in court, Nikam said, “My argument was that Sanjay Dutt should not get the benefit of the Probation of Offenders Act. He was convicted under the Arms Act, though the court acquitted him of conspiracy charges, and we had no objection to that. However, I argued that he should be sentenced to seven years under the Arms Act. His lawyer contended that since it was his first offence, he should be released on bond. I objected because the pistol he possessed had come from the number one shooter of Dawood Ibrahim. If he accepted a weapon from such a person, he was fully aware of his criminal background. The benefit of the Probation of Offenders Act is meant for first-time offenders who are genuinely innocent but get trapped in unfortunate circumstances. That was not the case with Sanjay Dutt.”

Nikam further recalled that Sanjay had hired the country’s top legal minds to defend him. “He engaged the very best legal luminaries of this country while I was the prosecutor. Ultimately, the court agreed with me and sentenced him to seven years in prison,” he said.

‘Sanjay Dutt was trembling’

Describing Sanjay’s reaction after the verdict, Nikam said, “When the judgment was delivered, he was trembling. He kept saying, ‘No sir, I didn’t do anything wrong, sir. I will come back.’ He was virtually shaking. I was standing nearby and told him, ‘Sanju, the media is watching, please stand straight.’ Then I asked the police to take him away. Had I not motivated him at that moment, the media would have made me the villain. Everyone was against me.”

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‘Sanjay Dutt wasn’t a terrorist’

Despite seeking a strict sentence, Nikam clarified that he never considered Sanjay Dutt a terrorist. “I want to clarify that Sanjay Dutt is not a terrorist. It was his childishness. You could see it in his eyes. He was curious about weapons, and during that time many people were fascinated by the underworld. Being associated with them was seen as a flex,” he said.

‘Sanjay Dutt could have avoided the 1993 blast’

However, Nikam said his biggest disappointment was that Sanjay could have helped prevent the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts. “When Abu Salem came with a truck full of weapons, Sanjay Dutt kept some and returned the rest. My point is that if he had informed the police immediately, we could have stopped the bomb blasts. The conspiracy could have been exposed, many lives would have been saved, and those involved could have been arrested. That was my grievance against him. But he was not a terrorist.”

Despite their courtroom battle, Nikam said the two now share a cordial relationship. “I met him after he was released. I have met him several times since. He respects me. Once, I was at a hotel when he came up to me and spoke with me. I have no personal enmity against anyone,” he said.

This article reflects personal recollections and historical court commentary shared during an interview for general informational purposes.