Former IPS Officer Sanjiv Bhatt Acquitted in 1997 Custodial Torture Case by Gujarat Court

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Porbandar, Gujarat: A court in Porbandar District, Gujarat, has acquitted former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt in a 1997 custodial torture case, citing insufficient evidence and procedural lapses by the prosecution. Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Mukesh Pandya delivered the verdict last week, stating that the prosecution failed to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt and had not obtained the necessary sanction to prosecute Bhatt, who served as the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Porbandar at the time.

Key Developments in the Case

  • Allegations: The case was initiated following a complaint by Naran Jadhav, who accused Bhatt of subjecting him to physical and mental torture, including electric shocks, to extract a confession in a case under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) and the Arms Act.
  • Incident Details: Jadhav, one of 22 accused in a 1994 arms recovery case, alleged that he was tortured in July 1997 after being transferred from Sabarmati Central Jail in Ahmedabad to Bhatt’s residence in Porbandar under a transfer warrant.
  • Legal Proceedings: Jadhav lodged a formal complaint before a Judicial Magistrate, prompting an inquiry. A case was subsequently registered in December 1998, followed by summons issued to Bhatt and a constable, identified as Chau. An FIR was formally filed in 2013. The case against Chau was dropped following his death.

Bhatt’s Legal Troubles

Bhatt, who is currently serving a life sentence in Rajkot Jail for a 1990 custodial death case, is also serving a 20-year sentence for a 1996 drug-planting case in Palanpur, Banaskantha district. The latter conviction was handed down by a Sessions Court in March 2024.

Additionally, Bhatt is implicated in another case involving alleged fabrication of evidence related to the 2002 Gujarat riots, along with activist Teesta Setalvad and former Gujarat Director General of Police R.B. Sreekumar.

Court Observations

The Porbandar court highlighted procedural shortcomings in the prosecution’s case, including the lack of requisite sanctions, ultimately leading to Bhatt’s acquittal.

The verdict adds a new dimension to Bhatt’s controversial career, marked by allegations of abuse of power and multiple legal challenges.

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