Actor Sanjay Dutt, who was sentenced to five years in prison in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case, had suffered for 20 years and should be pardoned on humanitarian grounds, Press Council of India chief Markandey Katju said Friday.

"I have sent an appeal to the Maharashtra governor requesting him to pardon Sanjay Dutt. I have said this on humanitarian reasons," the former Supreme Court judge told TV channel CNN-IBN.

"I am not questioning the Supreme Court verdict. I am raising this as a citizen, not as retired Supreme Court judge," he said.

Elaborating on the reasons for his stance, Katju said Sanjay was not a terrorist and was not found to be involved in a terror act but in keeping arms without licence.

"Sanjay Dutt's parents have done social service. He himself has done some good things like promoting Gandhian philosophy in movies. He has two small children and suffered for 20 years," said Katju.

Katju added that the actor had been in jail for 18 months and had undergone many hardships.