On Wednesday, March 27th, former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt faced conviction in the 1996 Drug Planting case that occurred in Palanpur under the NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act). Bhatt’s verdict was delivered in the Palanpur sessions court following his appearance earlier that day. The case dates back to Bhatt’s tenure as the District Superintendent of Police in Banaskantha, Gujarat, when he was accused of fabricating evidence against a lawyer by placing 1.5 kg of opium in a hotel in Palanpur.
Gujarat | Former IPS Officer Sanjiv Bhatt convicted in 1996 NDPS case of Palanapur. He was presented before the Palanpur sessions court today.
— ANI (@ANI) March 27, 2024
Sanjiv Bhatt was arrested by the Gujarat CID based on allegations of falsely implicating lawyer Sumersingh Rajpurohit by planting opium in a hotel room in Palanpur. Subsequent investigation by the Rajasthan Police revealed Rajpurohit’s innocence and highlighted deliberate framing by the Banaskantha Police. Rajpurohit was forcibly taken from his residence in Pali, Rajasthan, indicating serious misconduct in the case.
This recent conviction adds to Bhatt’s legal troubles, as he is already serving a life sentence in a separate custodial death case. In 2019, Bhatt was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Jamnagar court in connection with a 1989 custodial death case. This case revolves around the death of Prabhudas Vaishnani, who sustained fatal injuries while under police custody. Bhatt, who was posted as the ASP in Jamnagar at the time, allegedly detained over a hundred people during a communal riot, and Vaishnani’s death was one of the consequences.
The 1989 custodial death case involves six other policemen besides Bhatt, all of whom were accused in the incident. The conviction in the drug planting case adds another chapter to Bhatt’s troubled legal history, highlighting the need for accountability and justice in cases of police misconduct.
Comments