Ahmedabad:

Dismissed IPS officer Sanjeev Bhatt was today arrested by the SIT of CID-crime here in connection with a sensational case pertaining to the alleged abduction and arrest of a Rajasthan Lawyer after recovery of Opium from a hotel in Palanpur headquarter town of Banaskantha district in North Gujarat over 22 years ago.

DGP CID crime Ashish Bhatia said that Bhatt and the then PI and his subordinate have been formally arrested while four to five other accused including then policemen of Banaskatha were being interrogated but have not yet been arrested. He however did not rule out such possibility.

A lawyer from Pali in Rajasthan, Sumshersinh Rajpurohit was arrested by Banaskantha police from his native in May 1996 after recovery of one kg Opium from a local hotel in NDPS Act. But during identification parade the hotel manager could not identify him. He was later released. Bhatt was then SP of Banskantha.

Rajpurohit later filed a case in Rajasthan alleging that he was kidnapped by police in plain cloth at the instance of the then Gujarat high court judge R R Jain who wanted forceful eviction of one of his relative from his sister’s shop in Pali.

The Rajasthan court accepted his contention and found fault with Banaskantha police.

Later in 1998 retired Justice Jain filed a petition in Gujarat High Court demanding a thorough probe in the matter alleging that Rajasthan police’s investigation was influenced by the then CM of the state and also the Bar Association of Pali. A co-accused police official I B Vyas also filed another such petition in 1999.

In June this year while hearing the matter Justice J B Pardiwala of the Guajrat High Court ordered a probe by SIT of CID-crime.

CID Crime IG Ajay Tomar’s briefing:

The court had asked to form Special Investigation Team(SIT) with members with rank of Police Superintendent or above.The probe was to be held under the direct supervision of DIG rank official. Entire probe was to be held under supervision of IGP. On the basis of such direction, SIT was formed. Three members of SIT are Ajay Tomar, Deepankar Trivedi and Veerendra Yadav.

Detail of case according to IG Ajay Tomar is: On 30-4-96 some unidentified person called Palanpur district control room and informed that one Sumersinh was into opium business and he had stayed with 5 kg opium in Lajwanti hotel in order to make delivery soon. LCB PI Vyas was moved based on this information and raid was conducted on 30th April 1996 by LCB(Local Crime Branch) Palanpur staff in Hotel Lajwanti’s room number 305. When room was raided, none was present and 1 kg 15 gram opium was found. Then Police Inspector had had done further procedure and on 3rd of May 1996, at 13.30 hour, Sumresinh was arrested, after which his 14 days remand was sought. The court had approved 7 days remand of Sumersinh. However then LCB PI Vyas on 6-5-1996 submitted a report in court under CRPC 169 following which bail was granted and Sumersinh was released. Palanpur police later entered summary in this case on 21 June 1996. It was revealed that Sumersinh was framed in this fake case so that he vacate shop number 06 in Vardhman market. Then district superintendent of police Sanjiv Bhatt others had filed fake narcotics case against him. After probe, and collection of evidences and witness statements, then police inspector of local crime branch IB Vyas, and then superintendent of police Sanjiv Bhatt were found involved and therefore they were arrested.

DeshGujarat