Sanjeev Bhatt slapped with murder charge in 21-yr-old case

Ahmedabad, Oct 11: Suspended IPS officer, Sanjeev Bhatt who is currently lodged in Ahmedabad has been slapped with a murder charge in 21-year-old case.

Bhatt has been accused in a case related to the torture and custodial death of a prisoner in Jamjodhpur, Jamnagar district in 1990. When the case was up for hearing before the court, government opposed the prosecution of Bhatt who was then a assistant superintendent of police (ASP) in Jamnagar. Criminal proceedings were initiated against Bhatt and six others accused in the case.

The magistrate however turned down government's plea that opposed Bhatt's prosecution following which the state government in 1996 filed a revised petition.

However, after 15 years, when the government filed the revision petition and the case came up for hearing in 2011, the government backed away and withdrew the application.

"The court issued a stay till November 8 on court proceedings as Bhatt's counsel contended that they wanted to approach the Supreme Court," said additional government pleader, HL Jani.

Bhatt was heavily criticised after he in an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court accused Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi of ordering cops to go slow in the 2002 communal riots in Gujarat.

The Jamnagar court will soon file a charge-sheet against Bhatt and other accused policemen in the case.

OneIndia News