SC rejects 3 pleas by ex-IPS Sanjiv Bhatt, slaps one lakh fine each
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New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday turned down three petitions moved by ex-IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt in connection with a drug seizure case and imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh for each petition.
A bench of justices Vikram Nath and Rajesh Bindal observed that the petitioner is repeatedly approaching the courts.
The court directed the petitioner to deposit the fine amount of rupees 3 lakh total with the Gujarat High Court Advocates Association.
One of the petitions by Bhatt has sought to transfer the trial of the matter to another court alleging that the concerned trial court judge was dealing with the matter unfairly.
On earlier occasions too, the Supreme Court rejected the plea filed by Bhatt challenging a Gujarat High Court direction setting a timeline for a drug seizure case and slapped him with a fine of Rs. 10, 000.
Bhatt then challenged the Gujarat High Court order which issued a direction of completion of trial in a drug case against him within the stipulated time.
A Gujarat court in June 2019 sentenced Bhatt to life imprisonment in another custodial death case dating back to 1990.
Earlier the Supreme Court on May 10 declined the plea filed by Bhatt seeking to adduce additional evidence in the appeal he filed in the Gujarat High Court challenging his conviction in a custodial death case.
A bench of justices M R Shah and C T Ravi Kumar dismissed the plea filed by Bhatt. Bhatt's lawyer has taken the top court through the deposition of three witnesses who were doctors.
The court observed that it is required to be noted that as such the deposition of the said witnesses was as such considered by the trial court after all three witnesses were thoroughly cross-examined.
Now the deposition of the three witnesses is to be considered and reappreciated by the high court at the time of deciding the appeal, it said.
"Having gone through the impugned order passed by the High Court, we see no reference to interfere with the same in the excise of powers under Article 136 of the Constitution of India", the top court said.
"Any observations by this court on the deposition of the aforesaid 3 witnesses may ultimately affect the case of either party in the appeal, which is yet to be considered by the high court. Therefore, the special leave petition stands dismissed," the order stated.
With inputs from agencies
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