Mon Dec 09 17:11:17 UTC 2024: ## Ex-IPS Officer Sanjeev Bhatt Acquitted in 1997 Custodial Torture Case
**Porbandar, Gujarat:** A Porbandar court has acquitted former IPS officer Sanjeev Bhatt in a 1997 custodial torture case. Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Mukesh Pandya delivered the verdict on Sunday, stating that the prosecution failed to prove the charges against Bhatt beyond reasonable doubt.
The case centered on allegations of custodial torture of notorious rowdy-sheeter Naran Jadhav. Jadhav, an accused in the 1994 RDX smuggling case off the Porbandar coast, alleged that Bhatt, then Superintendent of Police in Porbandar, subjected him to brutal physical and mental abuse to extract a confession. Jadhav claimed he was stripped and electrocuted on his genitals, tongue, and chest while in Bhatt’s custody. However, the court found the presented evidence insufficient to corroborate these claims, acquitting Bhatt on grounds of reasonable doubt.
The court also noted the lack of evidence proving the government’s permission to file the case against Bhatt and Constable Vajubba Chavu, who was also accused in the case and died earlier this year. Charges under IPC sections 330 and 324 were filed against both Bhatt and Chavu. Chavu’s death led to his discharge from the case.
First Piper 