The Gujarat high court on Monday stayed its order rejecting suspended
DIG Sanjiv Bhatt’s plea to shelve criminal proceedings initiated against him
and six other cops in a 1990 custodial death case.
Justice R H Shukla stayed his order for three weeks after Bhatt’s counsel I H Syed requested to defer implementation so the suspended cop could move the Supreme Court regarding the matter.
“As a result of the stay, all proceedings against Bhatt will also be stayed till August 13, which were likely to be initiated in a Jamnagar sessions court,” the lawyer said.
Bhatt is facing trial in a Jamkhambhalia sessions court in connection with 1990 alleged custodial death, where one person – Prabhudas Vaishnani died of renal failure after he and others were detained following communal riots.
The state government continued to protect the cops till last year, until Bhatt implicated chief minister Narendra Modi in the 2002 riots. After Bhatt’s revelations, the government sought to withdraw its protection by withdrawing a revision application from the sessions court paving the way for a trial against the cops.
After the state government allegedly changed its stand last year, Bhatt moved the high court against imminent criminal process in the Jamkhambhalia court.
The suspended officer fought a legal battle to assert that he had a right to file a revision application on his own, but when it was rejected by the trial court, he moved the HC.
Justice R H Shukla stayed his order for three weeks after Bhatt’s counsel I H Syed requested to defer implementation so the suspended cop could move the Supreme Court regarding the matter.
“As a result of the stay, all proceedings against Bhatt will also be stayed till August 13, which were likely to be initiated in a Jamnagar sessions court,” the lawyer said.
Bhatt is facing trial in a Jamkhambhalia sessions court in connection with 1990 alleged custodial death, where one person – Prabhudas Vaishnani died of renal failure after he and others were detained following communal riots.
The state government continued to protect the cops till last year, until Bhatt implicated chief minister Narendra Modi in the 2002 riots. After Bhatt’s revelations, the government sought to withdraw its protection by withdrawing a revision application from the sessions court paving the way for a trial against the cops.
After the state government allegedly changed its stand last year, Bhatt moved the high court against imminent criminal process in the Jamkhambhalia court.
The suspended officer fought a legal battle to assert that he had a right to file a revision application on his own, but when it was rejected by the trial court, he moved the HC.
