Supreme Court asks Gujarat to respond on Sanjiv Bhatt’s wife’s allegations

The Supreme Court of India asked the Gujarat government to come clear following allegations made by former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt’s wife that the officer is being thwarted by the government from approaching the apex court. The ex-IPS officer’s wife today raised the allegation before the top court.

While observing the matter, the apex court said, “It is a serious allegation if true.” The court also added, “Usually the accused come to court. But in this case, the wife has come to the court. If a citizen is making a serious allegation, the state must give its response.”

Former Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, who is representing the Gujarat government in the court, said the state would reply on the matter by Friday. The court then ordered that the next hearing would be on October 4.

Earlier, the Crime Investigation Department cell of Gujarat Police had arrested Bhatt in a narcotics case on September 5. The police had registered a case against the IPS officer while he was serving as the Superintendent of Police (SP) in Banaskantha police in 1996.

Going by the report, the CID was conducting the probe based on the January last High Court order. The investigative agency is also interrogating several other policemen. Though the investigations are on, other than the arrest no further revelations have been made in this case. It was 22-year-old case where it was alleged planting of drugs to arrest a man.

For the record, Bhatt was a vocal critic of the ruling BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and was dismissed from service on grounds of “unauthorized absence” three years ago. Soon after his arrest, his wife Shweta demanded justice for him through social media posts.

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