A Jamnagar court on Thursday sentenced life imprisonment to sacked IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt in connection with an around three decade old custodial death case.
Sanjiv Bhatt is known for his role in filing an affidavit in the Supreme Court against the then Chief Minister of the Government of Gujarat, Narendra Modi, concerning Modi’s alleged role in the 2002 Gujarat riots. Bhatt was posted as the additional superintendent of police in Gujarat’s Jamnagar at the time of the incident.
He claimed to have attended a meeting, during which Modi allegedly asked top police officials to let Hindus vent out their anger against the Muslims. However, the Special Investigation Team appointed by the Supreme Court concluded that Bhatt did not attend this meeting and dismissed his allegations.
According to the prosecution, Bhatt had detained more than hundred persons during a communal riot there and one of the detainees had died in hospital after he was released.
He was suspended in 2011 on charges of remaining absent from duty without permission and misuse of official vehicles, and later sacked in August 2015.
