Sanjiv Bhatt was arrested earlier this month in a 22-year-old case of alleged planting of drugs.
Highlights
- It was alleged that Sanjiv Bhatt was stopped from moving Supreme Court
- The ex-IPS officer's wife raised the allegation before the top court
- "It is a serious allegation if true," the Supreme Court said
The Gujarat government was today asked to respond to allegations that former Gujarat police officer Sanjiv Bhatt is being stopped from approaching the Supreme Court. The ex-IPS (Indian Police Service) officer's wife raised the allegation before the top court.
"It is a serious allegation if true," the Supreme Court said.
"Usually the accused come to court. But in this case, the wife has come to the court. If a citizen is making a serious allegation, the state must give its response," it said.
The Gujarat government, represented by former Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, told the court that it would reply by Friday.
The next hearing is on 4 October.
Sanjiv Bhatt was arrested earlier this month in a 22-year-old case of alleged planting of drugs to arrest a man.
A lawyer was arrested in 1996 for allegedly keeping one kg opium by the police in Banaskantha, when Sanjiv Bhatt was posted there. An investigation later revealed that the lawyer was picked up from his home and implicated falsely so he would be compelled to transfer a disputed property. The lawyer said he had been pressured by Sanjiv Bhatt and that he had never been in the hotel room from where the drugs were allegedly found.
Sanjiv Bhatt, a vocal critic of the ruling BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was dismissed from service in 2015 on grounds of "unauthorized absence".
After his arrest, his wife Shweta has put out Facebook posts demanding justice for her husband.