Lt Col Mohanlal in trouble for supporting Sanjay Dutt

Superstar Mohanlal is in the news for all the wrong reasons. Following a complaint against the actor’s post on his social networking page seeking leniency for B-Town actor Sanjay Dutt, we hear that the Ministry of Defence has ordered the Indian Army to conduct an official inquiry against the actor who is holding the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army of India.
The petitioner, Eby J Jose, who is the chairman of Mahatma Gandhi National Foundation, has sent a letter to the President against the actor for speaking out against the conviction of Sanjay Dutt in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case. When contacted, Eby said, “The honorary rank is conferred by the Army on achievers to have them as role models and to inspire the youth to join the armed forces. Mohanlal being a Colonel and a citizen of India has an obligation to respect our nation’s laws and ethos. If he has some issues against the court verdict, he should challenge it through the division bench. To challenge the court order on a social media platform is not the right way. Seeking leniency for a person like Sanjay Dutt, for the kind of cases he is involved in, is like supporting terrorism.”
However, this is not the first time the actor is drawing flak from activists. Mohanlal once received severe criticism from all quarters when he appeared in a commercial for a prominent jewellery showroom in his military uniform. “Since he is holding an honorary position, he has a commitment towards society. He has lakhs of followers online and his brazen acts will create a negative impact,” adds the petitioner. Sanjay Dutt was convicted by the TADA court for his involvement in the serial bomb blast on March 12, 1993. Later, the Supreme Court found Dutt not guilty of the blasts but found him guilty of having in his possession prohibited weapons — a 9 mm pistol and an AK-56 assault rifle — without licence. Mohanlal is said to be holidaying in Antarctica currently and was unreachable. Several calls to his manager and other sources close to the actor went unanswered. However, a co-actor who wish to remain anonymous said, “This is just a work of some of his detractors. I would not give it too much importance.”
WHAT Mohanlal SAID: Sanjay Dutt is a reformed man
Mohanlal, who has almost 30 lakh followers on his social networking page, had said in his post in March 2013 that Sanjay certainly deserved our compassion and support. He had posted, “Over the last 20 years, my colleague and friend Mr Sanjay Dutt has been a reformed and good citizen, a loving family man and a person who has braved adversity and come out stronger and better. He certainly deserves our compassion and help to put this chapter behind him once and for all. I sincerely hope and pray that he is shown the leniency he truly deserves and is granted a pardon.”