Supreme Court junks ex-IPS officer Bhatt’s petition in drug seizure case

New Delhi, February 20

The Supreme Court on Monday rejected former Gujarat cadre IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt’s petition challenging a state High Court order which set a deadline for completion of trial in a 1996 drug seizure case and imposed a cost of Rs 10,000 on him for filing a “frivolous” petition.

“The petitioner rather than approaching this court ought to have cooperated with the trial court for expeditious disposal. The grant of extension is matter for the trial court. The petition is found to be absolutely frivolous and costs of Rs 10,000 are imposed,” a Bench led by Justice BR Gavai said.

It directed Bhatt to deposit the amount with the Gujarat State Legal Services Authority. On behalf of Bhatt, senior advocate Devadatt Kamat said a number of witnesses had not yet been examined and directions, as issued by High Court, would prevent the trial court from deciding the matter in a judicious matter.

Senior advocate Maninder Singh, representing the Gujarat Government, submitted that parties in criminal trial should be keen on swift disposal of the matter.

Bhatt, who was sacked from the service in 2015, was a Superintendent of Police in Banaskantha district in 1996. The district police under him had arrested Sumersingh Rajpurohit, a Rajasthan-based lawyer, in 1996 claiming they had seized drugs from a hotel room in Palanpur town where he was staying.

However, the Rajasthan Police later said Rajpurohit was falsely implicated by the Banaskantha police to compel him to transfer a disputed property at Pali in Rajasthan. Former inspector IB Vyas had approached the Gujarat HC in 1999 demanding a thorough probe in the case.

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