Pune, August 26: A Senior jailor has been suspended and seven other jail staff have been issued notices for their “unbecoming behaviour” during actor Sanjay Dutt’s release on interim bail from Yerawada Central Prison here last week.

According to Inspector General of Prisons (IGP) Satish C Mathur, “The action against the eight jail staffers was taken as directed by Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister R R Patil.” Mathur, who was out of station, could not immediately recall the name of the suspended jailor or the other staffers.

“The jailor had hugged the actor while the others shook hands with him in full media glare inviting the disciplinary action,” Mathur added.

Patil had ordered an inquiry against all the jail staffers who hugged and shook hands with Dutt when he was released last Thursday.

Apparently, Patil saw the visuals of the jail staff surrounding Dutt at the time of his release and rushing to greet and shake hands with him. This, he felt, would send a wrong message about the force, said sources at Yerawada Central Prison.

The latest development has put the jail authorities further on the defensive when it comes to media queries on Dutt. “We do not want any more trouble,” said a senior jail official when asked the names of the staff against whom action was being initiated.

On the day of Dutt’s release too a team of policemen from Yerawada police station had prevented mediapersons from talking to Dutt outside the jail. The media had been camping outside the jail premises for three days since the Supreme Court granted interim bail to Dutt.

Mathur had been reiterating since the actor’s arrival to serve his jail term that he will not be given any special treatment at Yerawada.

Source: http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=252924