SC rejects bail plea of convicted ex-IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt in 1990 custodial death case
New Delhi(PTI): The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed the bail plea of convicted former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt in a 1990 custodial death case in which he was sentenced to life imprisonment.
A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta said there was no merit in his plea for bail or the suspension of sentence in the case.
“We are not inclined to grant Sanjiv Bhatt bail. The prayer of bail is dismissed. The hearing of appeal shall not be affected. The hearing of appeal is expedited," Justice Nath said while pronouncing the verdict.
The appeal of Bhatt against the conviction and life imprisonment is presently pending in the top court.
Bhatt has moved the top court in 2024 challenging the Gujarat High Court's January 9, 2024 order dismissing his appeal.The high court also upheld the conviction of Bhatt and co-accused Pravinsinh Zala under Sections 302 (murder), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.
The high court had dismissed the state government's appeal seeking to enhance the sentences of five other accused who were acquitted of murder charges but convicted under Sections 323 and 506.
On October 30, 1990, then additional superintendent of police Bhatt detained around 150 people following a communal riot in Jamjodhpur town following a 'bandh' call against the halting of BJP leader L K Advani's 'rath yatra' for the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Prabhudas Vaishnani, one of the detained persons, died in hospital after his release.
Vaishnani's brother accused Bhatt and six other police officials of torturing him in custody and causing his death.
Bhatt was arrested on September 5, 2018, in another case where he is accused of falsely implicating a man for drug possession. The trial in the case is underway.
He is also an accused in a case of alleged fabrication of evidence in connection with the 2002 Gujarat riots cases along with activist Teesta Setalvad and former Gujarat director general of police R B Sreekumar.
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Telangana BJP MLA seeks abolition of family planning for Hindus
Hyderabad, May 5 (PTI): Telangana BJP legislator Paidi Rakesh Reddy on Monday called for the abolition of family planning for Hindus, so they can have more children.
Addressing a party meeting in Nizamabad, the Armoor MLA, indirectly referring to last month’s terror attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam, said that the terrorists had asked if the victims were Hindus before killing them.
He asserted that only unity among Hindus could protect future generations and safeguard the country.
He also remarked that the "opposite person" was "playing the game" with 11 to 12 children and roaming around with bombs, while "our" children were scared even of firecrackers.
"I am telling all of you, brothers and women, since you are all here, I am requesting that family planning for Hindus be abolished. Give birth to a sufficient number of children. The unity of Hindus is the only way to stop these guns. We are one. If there is no Dharma, there is no country. And if there is no country or Dharma, there are no future generations. Kashmir is an example of that," he claimed.
Reddy further stated that the terrorists in the Pahalgam attack did not ask the victims about their caste—whether they were blacksmiths or barbers, Tamilians, Maharashtrians, or Telugus. "Did they ask? They asked if you were Hindu," he said.
The BJP leader could not be immediately reached for clarification on his statement.
Reacting to Reddy’s comments, Congress Lok Sabha member Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy said that in a secular country like India, religion should not be used to criticise or compare issues.
"This does not address the real problem and instead creates unrest in the country. Rakesh Reddy’s comments, provoking Hindus to have more children, reflect personal views. If the government wants to promote such activity in the national interest, that's a different matter," the Congress MP said.
He added that as a responsible elected representative, Reddy should not provoke people in the name of caste.
