Former IPS Sanjiv Bhatt interaction with The Hindu on 20th August 2015 at his residence in Ahmedabad.
| Photo Credit: VIJAY SONEJI
The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a petition filed by former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt challenging a Gujarat High Court order which set a deadline for completion of trial in a 1996 drug seizure case.
A Bench of Justices B.R. Gavai and Aravind Kumar also imposed a cost of ₹10,000 on Mr. Bhatt for filing a “frivolous” petition.
The top court directed Mr. Bhatt to deposit the amount with the Gujarat State Legal Services Authority.
“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 ₹10,000 are imposed,” the Bench said.
‘Witnesses not examined’
Senior advocate Devadatt Kamat, appearing for Mr. Bhatt, submitted that a number of witnesses have not yet been examined and directions, as issued by high court, will prevent the trial court from deciding the matter in a judicious manner.
Senior advocate Maninder Singh, appearing for Gujarat, argued that parties in criminal trial should be keen on swift disposal of the matter.
Mr. Bhatt, who was sacked from 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 Mr. Rajpurohit was falsely implicated by the Banaskantha police to compel him to transfer a disputed property located at Pali in Rajasthan.
Former police inspector I.B. Vyas had moved the Gujarat High Court in 1999 demanding a thorough inquiry into the case.
