SC rejects IPS Sanjiv Bhatt’s three plea, slaps 1 lakh fine for each

New Delhi [India]: The Supreme Court on Tuesday turned down three petitions moved by ex-IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt in connection with a drug seizure case and imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh for each petition.

A bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Rajesh Bindal observed that the petitioner is repeatedly approaching the courts.

The court directed the petitioner to deposit the fine amount of Rs 3 lakh total with the Gujarat High Court Advocates Association.

One of the petitions by Bhatt has sought to transfer the trial of the matter to another court alleging the concerned trial court judge was dealing with the matter unfairly.

On earlier occasions too, the Supreme Court rejected the plea filed by former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt challenging a Gujarat High Court direction setting a timeline for a drug seizure case and slapped him with a fine of Rs 10,000.

Then Bhatt challenged the Gujarat High Court order which issued a direction of completion of trial in a drug case against him within the stipulated time.

A Gujarat court in June 2019 sentenced former Sanjiv Bhatt to life imprisonment in another custodial death case dating back to 1990.

Earlier, The Supreme Court on May 10 declined the plea filed by ex-IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt seeking to adduce additional evidence in the appeal he filed in the Gujarat High Court challenging his conviction in a custodial death case.

A bench of justices MR Shah and CT Ravikumar dismissed the plea filed by Sanjiv Bhatt. Bhatt’s lawyer has taken the top court through the deposition of three witnesses who were doctors.

The court observed that it is required to be noted that, as such, the deposition of the said witnesses was as such considered by the trial court after all those three witnesses were thoroughly cross-examined. Now the deposition of the 3 witnesses is to be considered and re-appreciated by the High Court at the time of deciding the Appeal, it said.

“Having gone through the impugned order passed by the High Court, we see no reason to interfere with the same in the exercise of powers under Article 136 of the Constitution of India,” the top court said.

“Any observations by this Court on the deposition of the aforesaid 3 witnesses may ultimately affect the case of either party in the Appeal, which is yet to be considered by the High Court. Therefore, the Special Leave Petition stands dismissed”, the order stated.