Entry: Sanjay hugs sister Priya before stepping into the car that took him to the court. (AP)

Mumbai, July 31: A birthday card addressed to “beloved Sanju” lay unopened on the table of the security guard at the Pali Hill residence of Sanjay Dutt. A garlanded photograph of Sunil Dutt adorned the wall.

Sanjay chose to wear a white shirt instead of his usual blue to attend court today. For the first time in six years, wheelchair-bound Rajesh Kumar Saxena, 35, could not see his star before he left for court.

Ominous signs, some said, or may be it’s just Baba’s destiny. Some blamed his high-profile status. But not one person said he deserved it.

As news of Sanjay’s sentence trickled in, a pall of gloom descended on the upmarket Pali Hill neighbourhood.

Baba to some, Sanju to others, the actor had left home at 9.45am, accompanied by his two sisters and close friends.

Sanjay seemed to be in a sombre mood as he hugged his friends and lawyer before getting into the car.

Without his trademark blue shirt, the actor left the entourage waiting at his residence nervous.

“I am very nervous for him. He helped us so much when we were in trouble. He is a simple man, why did God do this to him?” said Pushpa, who has worked as a domestic help at the Dutt residence for long.

She said the actor, who was on a fast today, hadn’t eaten much last night.

A stream of visitors had earlier visited the star — director duo Abbas-Mastan, MLA Baba Siddique, producers Dheeraj Kumar and Bunty Walia, and director Mohit Suri to name a few.

Neighbours said Sanjay wasn’t alone in his ordeal.

Friends had flown in from different parts of the country to be with him. They were with Sanjay till after midnight and some even accompanied him to court.

Close friends like Immi, a businessman, flew down from South Africa on July 28.

“His friends have been his support system all along. Immi had flown in from South Africa last November as well when Sanjay was discharged under Tada and found guilty under the arms act,” said Sanjay’s neighbour Shaheen.

“I have been friends with him for the past 12-13 years, we grew up together. I cannot believe that he has been given such a harsh statement. I remember him being the most handsome guy in the locality and how we all looked up to Sanju bhaiya,” Shaheen said.

Sources said Namrata, one of Sanjay’s sisters, was shattered by the verdict, while the other, Priya, appeared to have kept her cool.

“Both the sisters are very sensitive, but Priya is the stronger one. I keep messaging her, she replies sometimes. She is pregnant and I don’t know how much she can take,” said Shaheen, who is a friend of Priya.

By 6.45pm, close friend Sanjay Gupta, with whom the actor had launched White Feather Films, had come back to his residence and waited in the parking lot with two others.

He wore a look of utter disbelief. There were tears in his eyes.

A group of about 45 policemen kept vigil outside Imperial Heights, the Dutts’ residence, and onlookers were forbidden from entering the area.

But Saxena managed to break the cordon and tried to get a glimpse of his Munnabhai.

When he realised that the star won’t be back soon, Saxena broke down. “They have framed him. He waved to me each time he saw me, how can they put him away?” he sobbed.