Ahmedabad: Relief for cops convicted in custodial death case

Four police personnel who were convicted by Jamnagar sessions court along with former IPS Sanjiv Bhatt in the custodial death case of 1990 have been granted major relief by the Gujarat High Court. The high court has suspended their sentence and granted them bail till their appeal against conviction is decided by high court.

The Jamnagar Sessions Court had on June 20 convicted Bhatt and another constable Pravinsinh Zala of murder under the Indian Penal Code and they were awarded life imprisonment. On the other hand four other police personnel accused in the case—sub-inspectors Dipak Shah and constables Pravinsinh Jadeja, Anopsinh Jethva, and Keshu Jadeja, were sentenced to two years in prison.

Following the conviction, they moved the high court with an appeal challenging the conviction awarded to them and for suspension of sentence. During the hearing, the counsel for the petitioners contended that they were on bail during the trial of the case. It was also argued by them that they were not named in the FIR registered in the case and the deposition of the prosecution's witnesses was recorded after a period of 30 years by trial court. The advocate argued that the involvement of applicants in the entire case is also doubtful and therefore, their sentence needs to be suspended.

The state government requested the court to reject the plea. The court after considering the case against the petitions and the deposition of witnesses suspended the sentence and granted them bail till their appeal against conviction is not decided.