Gujarat Court Acquits Sanjiv Bhatt IPS In 1997 Custodial Torture Case

A Gujarat court in Porbandar has acquitted former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt in a 1997 custodial torture case, citing insufficient evidence to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt. The judgement, delivered by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Mukesh Pandya on Saturday, granted Bhatt the benefit of the doubt due to a lack of corroborative evidence.

The case stemmed from allegations that Bhatt, then the Superintendent of Police (SP) in Porbandar, used force and threats to extract a confession from complainant Naran Jadav in connection with a Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) case. Bhatt and his late colleague, Constable Vajubhai Chau, were charged under Indian Penal Code sections 330 and 324, pertaining to causing hurt to extort confession and the use of dangerous weapons.

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The court noted the absence of required prosecution sanctions, as Bhatt was a public servant performing his official duties at the time. The prosecution failed to substantiate claims that the complainant endured physical and mental torture to confess.

This acquittal comes as Bhatt continues to serve a life sentence in a 1990 custodial death case in Jamnagar. In a separate 1996 incident, he received a 20-year sentence for framing a Rajasthan lawyer by planting drugs. Bhatt, known for his outspoken criticism of political figures and controversies surrounding his career, remains imprisoned at Rajkot Central Jail.

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Bhatt claimed that he attended a meeting where then-Chief Minister Narendra Modi allegedly asked police officers to let Hindus “vent their anger” during the riots. His allegations made him a polarising figure and brought him into conflict with the Gujarat government.

Bhatt was dismissed from the IPS in 2015 on grounds of “unauthorised absence” from duty. He alleged that his dismissal was politically motivated.

In 2019, Bhatt was sentenced to life imprisonment in a 1990 custodial death case during his tenure as an Assistant Superintendent of Police in Jamnagar. He has maintained that the charges against him were fabricated.