SC issues notice on Sanjiv Bhatt's appeal against conviction in custodial death case
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the State of Gujarat in response to a plea by former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, challenging the Gujarat High Court's dismissal of his appeal against a conviction and life imprisonment sentence. The sentence was handed down by a Jamnagar Court in connection with a 1990 custodial death case.
The Bench, comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Prasanna Bhalachandra Varale, has tagged Bhatt’s petition with other related pleas pending before the Supreme Court. Senior Advocates Kapil Sibal and Devdatt Kamat, representing Bhatt, highlighted the need for a hearing, leading the court to set a returnable notice within four weeks.
Bhatt was convicted for the custodial death of Prabhudas Madhavji Vaishnani, who was allegedly tortured while in police custody during his tenure as the Assistant Superintendent of Police in Jamnagar. Vaishnani was among 133 individuals detained during a Bharat Bandh in November 1990. He died ten days after being released on bail, with renal failure cited as the cause of death.
In June 2019, a Sessions Court in Jamnagar sentenced Bhatt and police constable Pravinsinh Zala to life imprisonment, finding them guilty under sections 302 (murder), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), and 506(1) (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Other officers involved received convictions under lesser charges.
The Gujarat High Court, earlier this year, upheld the Jamnagar Court's decision, finding no grounds for interference in the conviction. Bhatt’s appeal against this decision is now pending before the Supreme Court.
In a separate case, Bhatt was sentenced to life imprisonment in March 2024 for a 1996 drug-planting case.
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EAM Jaishankar meets Jamaican PM, gifts over 10 BHISHM Cubes
Kingston (PTI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday met Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness and discussed ways to further deepen "political, economic and people-to-people cooperation."
Jaishankar also conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Holness.
"Pleased to call on Prime Minister @AndrewHolnessJM in Kingston. Conveyed the greetings of PM @narendramodi," Jaishankar posted on X.
"Discussed deepening our political, economic and people-to-people cooperation. Value his commitment towards further strengthening India-Jamaica relations," the post further read.
Also, the external affairs minister handed over 10 BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita & Maitri) Cubes as a gift to Jamaica.
"Formally handed over 10 BHISHM Cubes as a gift from India to Jamaica, in the presence of PM @AndrewHolnessJM, Health Minister @christufton and FM @kaminajsmith," Jaishankar posted on X.
"The BHISHM Cube mobile hospital system, designed for rapid deployment, will help Jamaica during disasters and emergencies. The gift of these cubes is a statement of friendship, a commitment to disaster preparedness, and an outcome of innovation," the post said.
Jaishankar arrived in Kingston on Saturday evening, marking the first leg of his nine-day tour of Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, aimed at further strengthening India's strategic and cultural ties with the Caribbean nations.
Earlier in the day, he interacted with the Indian diaspora and discussed India's ongoing transformation in infrastructure, human development and technology-driven governance and entrepreneurship with them.
He also highlighted the cricket bond between both countries as India gifted a scoreboard to Jamaica.
A scoreboard was dedicated at Sabina Park in Kingston. It is the home of the Jamaica cricket team and is the only Test cricket ground in the Caribbean island nation.
The minister expressed hope that the new scoreboard would witness many memorable innings, including those symbolising the enduring friendship between the two countries.
Cricket has long been a strong cultural bridge between India and Jamaica, which is part of the West Indies cricket team.
Jamaican players, including Chris Gayle, Courtney Walsh and Michael Holding, have played a major role in shaping the legacy of West Indies cricket in the international arena, contributing to its dominance in earlier decades and its continued global appeal.
