'Dad's fine, out of danger!'

Komal Nahta

Actor-MP Sunil Dutt survived an air crash on March 26 near Nasik. He was on his way from Shirpur to Nasik in a private aircraft.

The aeroplane crash-landed around 11 pm and soon caught fire. Fortunately, all six people inside the aircraft managed to escape from the plane, which was soon engulfed in flames.

The pilot, who was seriously injured, was hospitalised in Nasik.

Sunil Dutt and the other four passengers were flown to Bombay and admitted to Breach Candy Hospital the next day. The star-MP was in Shirpur for the inauguration of an enterprise of industrialist Mukesh Patel.

Traveling with Dutt were Mukesh Patel's daughter, two nieces and a relative of Patel.

His MRI and other tests were done and their reports are awaited. The actor-MP was reportedly complaining of pain in the neck.

On hearing the news, Sanjay Dutt rushed from Mahabaleshwar where he was shooting for Mahesh Manjrekar's Pitaah. "Dad's fine and out of danger," informed a relieved Sanjay.

The actor returned to Mahabaleshwar again on March 27. "I have two days' work remaining," he explained. According to Sanjay, "The pilot's condition has also improved."

When asked when Dutt Sahab would be discharged from the hospital, Sanjay replied, "In three or four days."