When Sanjay Dutt fell on dad Sunil Dutt's feet saying "Papa galti ho gayi mere se" after being arrested in 1993 Mumbai blast case

Former IPS officer talks about when he inquired Sanjay Dutt for 1993 Mumbai blast case

Former IPS officer Rakesh Maria revisited one of Mumbai’s darkest investigations, the 1993 bomb blasts case. This case ultimately led to actor Sanjay Dutt’s conviction for illegal possession of arms.

In a new discussion with Desi Studios, Rakesh Maria reflected on the case with both clarity and emotion. He spoke about the key evidence and the personal moments that arose during the inquiry.

Rakesh shared that Sanjay Dutt’s name came up unexpectedly during the interrogation of two influential figures: Hanif Kadawala, a well-known restaurateur from Bandra, and Sameer Hingora, who was the President of IMPPA at the time.

Although both initially denied the accusations, Rakesh remembered how the tone changed when they asked to speak privately. “They refused the allegation against them, but they asked to speak to me and the first thing they told me was, ‘Why don’t you arrest big people?’ I asked them, ‘Which big people have I not arrested?’ They tell me, Sanju Baba, I thought what does Sanjay have to do with this?”

He went on to describe what they told him next — that the men involved in the blasts were looking for a quiet place to unload the weapons hidden inside a car, and Sanjay Dutt’s home was suggested.

Rakesh said, “They come to Sanjay Dutt’s house. Sanjay had already received the call. Sanjay told them to park the car there and unload the things.” These were the very weapons later used in the devastating attacks.

Rakesh recalled learning that Sanjay had kept some of the weapons for himself, returning most but not all. At that point, they decided to question him — but Sanjay was in Mauritius shooting a film. When he returned to India, Rakesh Maria personally picked him up at the airport.

Describing those hours in custody, Rakesh said Sanjay was kept in a room in the Crime Branch office, its bathroom door removed, with constables assigned to stay inside.

Also Read: Sanjay Dutt reveals he read Shiv Puran, Bhagavad Gita in jail to find strength: I faced my jail time with dignity...

Cigarettes and phone calls were not allowed. Maria confronted him early the next morning: “He sat down in the room 2:30 am and at around 8 am, I entered the room. I asked him, ‘Will you tell me your story or do you want me to tell your role?’”

What happened next, Maria said, was a raw emotional moment. “Sanjay told me that he is innocent and he’s not involved in this. The pent-up emotions, stress of the last few days, suddenly got through me and he was sitting on the chair in front of me. I just walked up to him and he had long hair at that time. I just gave him a slap and he toppled a little back and I caught hold of his hair and pulled him up. I asked him, ‘If he would talk to me like a gentleman, or should I…?’

He added that Sanjay then confessed, saying, “‘I made a mistake, please don’t tell my father.’ I told him, ‘How can I not tell your father? You have made a mistake. Be man enough’.”

Rakesh remembered that by the evening, Sunil Dutt came to see him. He was with Rajendra Kumar, Mahesh Bhatt, Yash Johar, and politician Baldev Khosa. “They all told me that Sanjay is innocent and he could not do these things,” he said.

He recalled the first time Sanjay faced his father after being accused of such a serious crime. “Sanjay Dutt is brought into the room. He sees his father, howls like a child, and falls down at Sunil Dutt’s feet. He tells him, ‘Papa galti ho gayi mere se (Dad, I made a mistake).’ I wouldn’t wish this on any father. Sunil’s face went pale.”

Sanjay Dutt completed his sentence in 2016.