Ahmedabad: Gujarat High Court has extended
till November 21, the stay on framing of charges against
suspended IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt in a two-decade old police
atrocity case, in which, one person had died in Jamnagar.
The stay was extended by Justice RH Shukla on Tuesday, after
Bhatt`s lawyer informed that they have filed a petition in the
Supreme Court, challenging the order of the High Court in the
matter, which was yet to be heard.
The High court had, on October 10, rejected Bhatt`s plea
seeking relief in a 1990 police atrocity case of Jamnagar
district, and asked the Jamnagar sessions court not to frame
charges against Bhatt till November 8 in a case, in which one
person had died a few days after his release on bail.
The 1988-batch IPS officer had approached the High Court,
challenging state government`s decision to withdraw plea,
seeking revision of Jamnagar sessions court`s order initiating
criminal proceedings against him and six others in connection
the atrocity case.
The state government had opposed Bhatt`s petition,
seeking relief in the 20 year old case, saying, it was an
attempt to delay the criminal proceedings against Bhatt.
Bhatt had contended that he was being targeted for
speaking against Chief Minister Narendra Modi and alleging his
complicity in 2002 riots, which the state had claimed to be a
baseless argument.
He had also argued that in 1990, government had defended
him, but has now suddenly changed its stand to victimise him
for speaking against the CM by filing an affidavit in the
Supreme Court.
Bhatt is presently out on bail following his arrest on
September 30 in connection with an FIR filed against him by a
police constable for alleged an threat, wrongful confinement,
restrain and making him sign a false affidavit about Bhatt`s
presence in the meeting called by Modi on February 27, 2002,
after the Godhra train burning incident.
PTI
