A special court on Monday rejected the prosecution’s arguments and granted bail to the suspended IPS officer.
In a major setback to the Narendra Modi government, a special court on Monday rejected the prosecution’s arguments and granted bail to suspended IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt who has accused the chief minister of complicity in the 2002 riots. Bhatt, who was arrested on September 30, was released after 17 days in judicial custody.
The court pronounced the judgment at 11am on Monday. Bhatt was arrested for allegedly forcing a police constable, KD Panth, to sign a false affidavit supporting his [Bhatt’s] claim that he had attended a meeting called by Modi at his official residence on February 27, 2002. In its order, the special court expressed doubts about the prima facie case of the prosecution and also rejected its arguments based on the alleged ‘criminal antecedents’ of Bhatt.
The court observed that Panth’s allegations that the IPS officer had detained, threatened and then forced him to sign a false affidavit without giving him the opportunity to read its contents, prima facie raises several doubts about his charges.
Rejecting the allegations against Bhatt, the court observed that Panth had studied till second-year of BBA degree course in English medium. Further, he was a senior police official serving in the intelligence branch of the state police, the court said. In such circumstances, it is hard to believe that he could have signed an affidavit without reading it simply on the instructions of Bhatt who had already been suspended by then, the court said.
On Monday, Bhatt looked calm as he came out of Sabarmati Central jail at 1:30 pm. As soon as he came out, supporters greeted him with flowers and congratulated him. Bhatt also thanked them for their support and then headed straight for his home near Gurukul.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}