SC Turns Away Disgraced IPS Officer Sanjiv Bhatt’s Plea Challenging Involvement In Drug Case

The Supreme Court on Thursday (4 October) dismissed a petition filed by the wife of disgraced former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhat challenging his arrest in a case of planting drugs to arrest an advocate as reported by TOI.

The petition questions the arbitrariness of the arrest. The bench consisting of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph said that the petition could be moved before the Gujarat High Court.

The complaint against Sanjiv Bhatt was filed by Sumersingh Rajpurohit in 1996 accusing him of abduction and implication in a false NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) case. Following the Rajasthan Police's investigation, former police inspector of Banaskantha I B Vyas had moved the Gujarat High Court in 1999 demanding a thorough inquiry into the matter.

In June this year, the high court had handed over the probe in the case to the CID while hearing the petition and directed it to complete the probe in three months. DGP (CID-Crime) Ashish Bhatia said on 6 September that all the seven people involved in the case, including Bhatt, have been detained, and two of them have been arrested.

“During the investigation, it has come to light that as part of a well-planned conspiracy, Bhatt and his accomplices had lodged a false case of narcotics against the lawyer to get a disputed property vacated. After careful investigation, Bhatt and Vyas have been arrested today,” an official release from the CID-Crime said, as reported by Indian Express.

Bhatt was dismissed from service in 2015 on multiple charges. A supporter of Congress, he has been accused of venting against the current political establishment.