Bollywood star in Calgary may have terrorist links

Noted & Quoted in: CBC Arts News

CBC Arts News

He has been cast as an anti-terrorism agent in the action drama Dus, which means "10" in Hindi.

As it turns out, Dutt may have links to real-life terrorism.

Twelve years ago, a series of bomb blasts went off in Bombay, killing nearly 300 people and injuring another 700. Charges were laid against a number of individuals in the attacks, including Dutt.

Jagdeesh Mann is the editor of the Vancouver-based Asian Pacific Post. "According to police in Bombay he was given a rifle ... by one of the Muslim extremists, that's part of the evidence that's being held against him and he has also been taped having conversations with one of the extremists," he said.

Dutt was sentenced to 18 months in jail. He was released in 1995, and has continued travelling since then to make his movies.

Immigration Canada says Dutt is in the country legally. Department officials won't talk about individual cases. A spokesperson says only that "it is their burden to prove to the immigration officer, as well as the minister's office, that the person upon entering Canada will not be someone who will [commit a crime]."

Mann says Canadians should be concerned about Immigration Canada allowing someone into the country who has been charged with terrorism.

"I think Canadians should be asking themselves what is Immigration Canada's mandate and what responsibilities do they have in a post-9/11 world," he said.

Raj Shah is a Calgary producer working on the film. He says Dutt is upset, and that the story has been blown out of proportion by the media because the truth is that Dutt has done nothing wrong.

"There was some incident, that maybe it was politically motivated and this will probably come to a conclusion over the next couple of years," Shah said.

Dutt will be done filming in Calgary next week. His case is still before the courts in India, and he is expected to back in court there at the end of the month.