Rediff

Mumbai, May 28: The Mumbai Sessions court has given permission to Sanjay Dutt to marry his love, Manyata. The court squashed Manyata's former husband Mehraj Shaikh's petition, nullifying his claims that he is legally married to her. It ruled that Manyata was legally divorced from Shaikh.

Sanjay Dutt and Manyata had wed in Goa, and then again in Mumbai on February 11.

Unfortunately, the marriage landed up in a heap of legal complications. First, the Goa registrar objected to Manyata's claim that she was a resident of Goa. Then, Manyata's former husband Mehraj claimed that he was still legally married to her.

The court's decision has come as a big reprieve to Dutt and Manyata, whose marriage was nullified.

On hearing the news, Dutt expressed happiness over the judgement to the media at his home.

Incidentally, Samajwadi party leaders Abu Asim Azmi and Amar Singh landed at Dutt's home when the news broke out. Their presence seems to be a mystery, as there is media speculation that Dutt was planning to contest Lok Sabha elections on a Congress ticket from the Mumbai North West constituency, which is being represented by his sister, Priya Dutt.