No bail for Sanjiv Bhatt in ‘drug bust’ case

| Published: Saturday, December 8, 2018, 6:22 [IST]

Ahmedabad, Dec 8: A court in Banaskantha district of Gujarat has rejected a bail application filed by former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt.

Additional sessions judge of Palanpur court P S Brahmbhatt refused to grant relief to Bhatt, who is behind bars since September this year in connection with a 22-year-old drug seizure case.

Campaign launched to raise funds for dismissed IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt's legal aid Campaign launched to raise funds for dismissed IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt's legal aid

Bhatt, who was sacked in 2015, was superintendent of police in Banaskantha district in 1996.

The district police had arrested Sumersingh Rajpurohit, a lawyer, in 1996, claiming to have seized drugs from a hotel room in Palanpur town where he was staying.

However, the Rajasthan Police said later that Rajpurohit was falsely implicated by Banaskantha Police to compel him to transfer a disputed property located at Pali in Rajasthan.

Former police inspector I B Vyas moved the Gujarat High Court in 1999 demanding thorough inquiry into the matter.

Palanpur drug planting: Why is dismissed IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt being probed Palanpur drug planting: Why is dismissed IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt being probed

In June this year, the high court handed over the probe to the state CID.

Bhatt was sacked by the Union home ministry in August 2015 on the grounds of "unauthorised absence" from service.