Sanjiv Bhatt acquitted in 1997 custodial torture case by Porbandar court
Updated: Dec 8th, 2024
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| Ex-IPS Sanjiv Bhatt |
A Porbandar court has acquitted incarcerated ex-IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt in a 1997 case of custodial torture.
The court passed the order following lack of evidence presented by the prosecution.
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Mukesh Pandya on Saturday acquitted the former Porbandar superintendent of police (SP), who was charged with IPC (Indian Penal Code) section 330 (voluntarily causing hurt to extort a confession) and section 324 (causing hurt with dangerous weapons).
ACJM Pandya ruled that the prosecution has “failed to establish anything other than suspicion”.
Notably, the prosecution argued that Bhatt was behind the alleged torture of an individual named Naran Jadav during his time in jail.
The case took shape dating back to 1994 when Jadav was held alongside 22 individuals accused in a Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) and Arms Act case.
Following this, a Porbandar police team brought Jadav to Bhatt’s residence in their town from Sabarmati Jail on a transfer warrant in July 1997.
There, as the complaint filed by Jadav states, he was brutally tortured and was given electric shocks on parts of his body.
Earlier in March this year, a special NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act) Court in Palanpur sentenced Bhatt to 20 years of jail and a fine of ₹2 lakh in a case of alleged drug planting.
Bhatt is also noted for his vocal criticism of the Narendra Modi government. Before his dismissal from the IPS, he had submitted an affidavit before the Supreme Court, alleging the complicity of the then Modi-led Gujarat government in the 2002 Gujarat riots.
His dismissal from service in 2015 by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs was based on grounds of unauthorised absence from duty.
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