Today, the Gujarat High Court refused to quash the First Information Report (FIR) filed against former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Sanjiv Bhatt in a 27-year-old drug planting case.
The single-headed bench of Justice Samir Dave rejected the application filed by Bhatt to quash the FIR lodged against him.
The Court also refused to stay the effect of the instant order or stay the trial proceedings for a month, despite a request by Bhatt's counsel.
During the hearing, Justice Dave orally remarked
"How can I stay the trial when there was never a stay? Sorry, no stay,"
Case Brief -
The case originated back in 1996 when the Basankantha Police arrest a lawyer, following the seizure of drugs from the lawyer's hotel room in Palanpur, Rajasthan.
At the time, Sanjiv Bhatt held the position of Superintendent of Police in Basankantha.
Subsequently, the Rajasthan Police alleged that Bhatt's team had fabricated the case solely to harass the lawyer in connection with a property dispute. Bhatt was arrested in September 2018 and has been in detention since then.
In February of this year, the Supreme Court rejected his petition challenging a Gujarat High Court order from January 2023, which extended the trial period until March 31, 2023. The Supreme Court characterized his plea as 'frivolous' and imposed a fine of ₹10,000 on Bhatt.
It's worth noting that Sanjiv Bhatt is known for his outspoken criticism of the government led by Narendra Modi. Prior to his dismissal from service, he submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court, alleging the complicity of the Modi-led Gujarat government in the 2002 Gujarat riots. In 2015, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs terminated his employment on the grounds of unauthorized absence from duty.
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