Sacked Gujarat Cop Sanjiv Bhatt Detained In 22-Year-Old Case

Ahmedabad: Former police officer Sanjiv Bhatt was detained today by the Gujarat CID in connection with a 22-year-old case of arrest of a man for alleged possession of drugs, a senior police official said.

Mr Bhatt and seven others, including some former policemen attached with the Banaskatha Police, were detained for questioning in the case, Director General of Police, Crime Investigation Department (CID), Ashish Bhatia said. Mr Bhatt was the Banaskantha district superintendent of police in 1996.

As per case details, the Banaskatha Police under Mr Bhatt had arrested Sumersingh Rajpurohit, an advocate, in 1996 on charges of possessing around one kg of drugs. At that time, the Banaskanta Police had claimed that drugs were found in a hotel room occupied by Mr Rajpurohit in the district’s Palanpur town.

However, an investigation by the Rajasthan Police had revealed that Mr Rajpurohit was allegedly falsely implicated by the Banaskatha Police. It had also found that Mr Rajpurohit was allegedly kidnapped by the Banaskatha Police from his residence at Pali in Rajasthan.

In June this year, the Gujarat High Court had handed over the probe in the case to the CID while hearing Mr Rajpurohit’s plea. The high court had asked the CID to complete the probe in three months.

The CID found substance in charges against Mr Bhatt, which led to his detention, Mr Bhatia said, adding that Mr Bhatt and some others could be arrested after questioning.

Mr Bhatt was sacked by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs in August 2015 for “unauthorised absence” from service.