On August 27, the Supreme Court of India took a significant step in the case of former Indian Police Service officer Sanjiv Bhatt. The Court issued a notice to the State of Gujarat regarding Bhatt’s appeal. This appeal challenges the Gujarat High Court’s recent decision that dismissed Bhatt’s objections to his conviction and life imprisonment sentence handed down by a Jamnagar Court.
Check for Amazing Discount on Electronic Gadgets*The case dates back to 1990 when Bhatt was the Assistant Superintendent of Police in Jamnagar. The case revolves around the death of Prabhudas Madhavji Vaishnani, who died shortly after being released from police custody. Vaishnani, along with others, had been detained during a Bharat Bandh (a nationwide strike) for alleged rioting. He was kept in custody for nine days and died ten days after being granted bail. The official cause of death was renal failure. However, allegations were made that Vaishnani had been subjected to custodial torture.
Check for Amazing Discount on Electronic Gadgets*An FIR was filed against Bhatt and several other officers following Vaishnani’s death. The case was initially stayed by the Gujarat High Court but was eventually taken up for trial in 2011. In June 2019, a Sessions Court in Jamnagar convicted Bhatt and a police constable, Pravinsinh Zala, sentencing them to life imprisonment. They were found guilty under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including charges of murder and causing hurt.
Along with Bhatt and Zala, several other officers were also convicted for their roles in the case. These included police constables Pravinsinh Jadeja, Anopsinh Jethva, Kesubha Dolubha Jadeja, and police sub-inspectors Shailesh Pandya and Dipakkumar Bhagwandas Shah. They were found guilty of custodial torture and given varying sentences.
Following their convictions, Bhatt, Zala, Shah, and Pandya challenged the verdict in the Gujarat High Court. However, in January 2024, the High Court upheld the trial court’s decision. The High Court found no errors in the trial court’s judgment and concluded that the prosecution had adequately proven the case against the accused.
Adding to Bhatt’s legal troubles, in March 2024, he was sentenced to life imprisonment in a separate case from 1996 involving the planting of drugs. This case further complicates Bhatt’s legal battles.
The Supreme Court’s recent notice comes as Bhatt continues to fight his convictions. The Court has decided to tag this appeal with other pending matters and has given a four-week deadline for the state to respond. Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Devdatt Kamat, representing Bhatt, have emphasized the importance of hearing the case. The legal team hopes for a reconsideration of the earlier decisions as the case progresses.
This notice marks a critical development in Bhatt’s ongoing struggle with the legal system and highlights the complexities of his legal challenges.
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