Imperial Heights at Pali Hill is gearing up to welcome 'Baba' home. Sanjay Dutt is slated to walk out of prison early today, and his residence has been spruced up for his homecoming, as well as for the steady stream of visitors who will be calling on him. His favourite dish, Tandoori Chicken, will be specially prepared for him.

“According to the jail manual, the prison gates open at 7am, so he is expected to walk out any time after that. We are hoping that all the formalities are done and he steps out as soon as possible,” said a source, adding, “Sanju has written letters to his sister Priya Dutt and her husband Owen Roncon to come and receive him. He wants everyone to be there when he is freed, along with Maanayata, and close pals.”

Sources said Dutt is slated to arrive in Mumbai by a chartered flight. As soon as he lands, he will first head to Siddhivinayak Temple. From there, he will proceed to the Bada Kabrastan, near Marine Lines station, where his mother, actress-social worker Nargis, is buried. 

Despite being a superstar whose movies earn crores of rupees in Bollywood, Sanjay Dutt will receive a meagre Rs 440 for making paper bags and khaki envelopes while serving his time in prison. As per the prison manual, a convicted prisoner has to be assigned some work so he can learn certain skills and utilise them outside jail after he completes his term. A jail officer said, “Dutt was initially given the job of making paper bags from newspapers. He was trained by a team of experts, and was tagged as an unskilled labour. Under this, he was paid Rs 45 after preparing 100 paper bags perfectly. Five months ago, he was tasked with preparing Khaki envelopes for a government office and for every 1,000 envelopes he used to get Rs50. He took two-three weeks to complete these tasks. However, he will not be paid for his work as a radio jockey (RJ), since that was meant as a recreational activity and was not labour-oriented work. He enjoyed being an RJ as he got to move out of his cell for a couple of hours and get in touch with the masses.”

Another officer spoke about Dutt's role as an RJ at the jail's internal radio station. “Dutt's show began from noon to 1pm. In his show, he would discuss some movie sequences or give first-hand information about movie planning and other things. Dutt became emotional while sharing his experiences in prison,” he added.  

56-year-old Dutt has been serving his term in Yerawada prison since April 2013, and was kept in a secluded yard, following his conviction in a case related to the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts. He was out on furlough or on parole for a total of 118 days in his 42-month jail term.

Source: Mid-Day