A Gujarat court on Thursday sentenced former IPS officerSanjiv Bhatt to life imprisonment in a custodial death case dating back to1990.
The Jamnagar Sessions Court charged Bhatt under Section 302of the Indian Penal Code which deals with punishment for murder, reported newsagency ANI.
“After the complete trial in 1990 Jam Jodhpur custodialdeath case, Jamnagar Sessions Court today booked accused Sanjeev Bhatt andPravinsinh Jhala under section 302 while the others are booked for torturing.For IPC 302 minimum punishment is life imprisonment and the maximum isdeath,” public prosecutor Tushar Gokani told media after the hearing, saidthe report.
Bhatt was convicted in the case pertaining to death of a mannamed Prabhudas Madhavji Vaishnani who died on 11 November 1990, allegedly dueto torture in police custody.
He was among the 133 people detained after communal riotsplagued the Jam Jodhpur village ahead of BJP veteran LK Advani’s rath yatra.
Bhatt was posted as the Additional Superintendent of Policein Gujarat’s Jamnagar when the incident took place, said the report.
This case went for three decades after which the SupremeCourt ordered that the judgement should be given before June 20 this year bythe Jamnagar Sessions Court.
Bhatt was suspended in 2011 on charges of remaining absentfrom duty without permission and misuse of official vehicles and later sackedin August 2015.