HC stays trial against Sanjiv Bhatt in custodial torture case

The Gujarat High Court today temporarily stayed the trial against suspended IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt in a 16-year-old case of custodial torture in Porbandar.
Justice S R Brahmabhatt ordered stay till further orders and fixed the hearing in the first week of May.
Bhatt, who was posted as SP in Porbandar in 1997, and constable Vajubhai Chau, are facing a trial for alleged custodial torture of a history-sheeter called Naran Sudha Jadav.
Jadav was arrested by Inspector M J Parmar while investigating a case of smuggling of weapons and RDX from Pakistan, and taken to Porbandar from Sabarmati Central jail in Ahmedabad in July 1997.

Jadav later filed a complaint before the judicial magistrate in Porbandar, accusing Bhatt and Chau of custodial torture.
Last year, Bhatt had filed an application before the magistrate, seeking case diaries of the investigation officer.
The magistrate, in September, rejected Bhatt's application, against which he went to the high court.
Bhatt has been in news in the recent past for making allegations against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi regarding handling of the 2002 riots.