Sanjay Dutt's lawyers issued a statement: "No application for grant of pardon was ever made by Sanjay Dutt or his family members to the Governor seeking pardon. Further, Sanjay Dutt or his family members never approached former Supreme Court Justice Katju for making an application for pardon on behalf of Dutt"
Governor Vidyasagar Rao reportedly rejected the petition on the recommendation of the state home department, which said it would set a bad precedent as the actor's conviction was confirmed by the Supreme Court. Sanjay Dutt was jailed in an arms case related to the 1993 Mumbai blasts
Following Sanjay Dutt's emotional appeal to be allowed to follow the Supreme Court verdict, the plea within Bollywood for the actor's legal pardon has considerably diminished.