Ahmedabad:
The Supreme Court has stayed trial against suspended IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt in a case relating to pressurising a constable to file an affidavit against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. The Gujarat government had opposed the stay.
The chargesheet filed against Mr Bhatt in the case accuses him of threatening a police constable, confining him wrongfully, and making him sign a false affidavit stating that he was present in a meeting with Mr Modi during the 2002 riots in the state.
Mr Bhatt was arrested on September 30 last year following the complaint filed by constable K D Pant.
Local court granted him bail on October 17. The affidavit in question sought to establish Mr Bhatt's presence at the February 27, 2002 meeting called by the Gujarat Chief Minister after the Godhra train burning incident.
Mr Bhatt has alleged Mr Modi, during a meeting on February 27, 2002, instructed top police officials of the state to allow the Hindus to vent their anger after the Godhra train burning incident. He had deposed before the Commission in May last year.
Mr Bhatt was posted as the Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence with the State Intelligence Bureau (SIB) from 1999 to 2002.