Clad in a saffron dhoti, Dutt, accompanied by his girl friend Manyata, performed the puja at the Shani Shignapur temple in Ahmednagar and then at the Sai Baba temple in nearby Shirdi.

The priest at the Ahmednagar temple told reporters that the actor told him that he was going through troubled times and wanted to pray to get out that.

Dutt, who was allowed by the Supreme Court to be out jail till he got his conviction order from the trial court in Mumbai, had also offered prayers at a temple in Pune yesterday.

The TADA court is likely to give Dutt the conviction order in late September.

Dutt, convicted for illegal possession of arms, was sentenced to six years rigorous imprisonment and was lodged in a Pune jail.

Director Sanjay Gupta’s Versova house was visible from afar, bathed and bedecked in lights. It made for a fitting venue for a special puja that he had organised for Sanjay Dutt. It was also Sanju’s first appearance after he was released from jail on an interim bail. 

Bollywood actors, and producers had turned up in full force to be with their beloved Sanju Baba as he made his first appearance since the time he came home last Wednesday. People turned up in hordes for the mata ki chowky to pray for Sanju. 

Sanju walked in at 7 pm sharp. Dressed in a simple white T-shirt and blue denims, he was a picture of calm. Friends Bunty Walia, Ajay Arora and Paresh Gehlani walked in with him. Manyata, reportedly, was cooking dinner at home for sister Priya’s birthday. 

The aarti started at quarter past seven, with Dutt performing the Jyot Jalana ceremony and tying the holy band (chunni) around Mata’s idol. It was an auspicious day indeed, with Raksha Bandhan and sister Priya Dutt’s birthday falling on the same day. 

Gupta insisted that Sanju was the eldest in the family; and ensured that he performed all the rituals. Brothers Rohit and Ronit Roy came together with their wives Manasi and Neelam respectively. 
 
 

VJ Sophie was also seen at the puja, along with Koena Mitra, Bappi Lahiri, Sanjay Suri, Suparna Varma, Rakesh Upadhyay, Masumi, Parvin Dabas and Hansal Mehta. After the puja, prasad and dinner were served to the guests.