Ahmedabad: Suspended IPS officer Sanjiv
Bhatt has approached the Gujarat High Court to quash a
complaint filed against him for allegedly `furnishing false
information with intention to evade summons`.
The petition filed on Tuesday is likely to come up for
hearing next week.
Bhatt in his petition has contended that the complaint
was baseless and hence needed to be quashed and the inquiry
ordered by the magistrate be stopped.
The complaint was filed in the local court last month
by ACP NC Patel, who is investigating officer in another case
against Bhatt in which the latter is accused of threatening
and illegally confining police constable KD Pant.
Based on the complaint filed by Patel, additional
chief judicial magistrate BG Doshi had ordered an inquiry
into the matter and issued summons to Bhatt asking him to
remain present in the court today.
However, advocates Manish Oza and Mahesh Baria sought
time from the court on behalf of Bhatt, who was out of
station, and requested for another date.
Agreeing to their request, the court adjourned the
hearing in the case till December 5.
Patel alleged in his complaint that Bhatt was issued
summons to remain present before him on September 30 but did
not turn up and instead wrote a letter saying he was supposed
to appear before the Nanavati Commission probing the 2002
riots case.
Patel further said that he probed if Bhatt appeared
before the judicial panel, which revealed that the officer
neither deposed before the commission nor was asked to do so.
On the basis of the information, Patel filed a
complaint against Bhatt under sections 172 (absconding to
avoid service of summons) and 177 (furnishing false
information) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), in the court of
the additional chief judicial magistrate BG Doshi.
Bhatt was arrested on September 30 in connection with
an FIR filed against him by the police constable KD Pant for
allegedly threatening; wrongfully confining and restraining
him and forcing him sign a false affidavit.
The affidavit was in connection with Bhatt`s presence
at the February 27, 2002 meeting called by Chief Minister
Narendra Modi after the Godhra train burning incident.
Bhatt, who had alleged complicity of Modi in the 2002
riots, was granted bail by a local court here on October 17.
PTI
