Ahmedabad, Nov 9: Gujarat High Court has extended till November 21, the stay on framing of charges against suspended IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt in a two-decade old police atrocity case, in which, one person had died in Jamnagar.
The stay was extended by Justice R H Shukla today, after Bhatt's lawyer informed that they have filed a petition in the Supreme Court, challenging the order of the High Court in the matter, which was yet to be heard.
The High court had, on October 10, rejected Bhatt's plea seeking relief in a 1990 police atrocity case of Jamnagar district, and asked the Jamnagar sessions court not to frame charges against Bhatt till November 8 in a case, in which one person had died a few days after his release on bail.
The 1988-batch IPS officer had approached the High Court, challenging state government's decision to withdraw plea, seeking revision of Jamnagar sessions court's order initiating criminal proceedings against him and six others in connection the atrocity case.
The state government had opposed Bhatt's petition, seeking relief in the 20 year old case, saying, it was an attempt to delay the criminal proceedings against Bhatt.
Bhatt had contended that he was being targeted for speaking against Chief Minister Narendra Modi and alleging his complicity in 2002 riots, which the state had claimed to be a baseless argument.
He had also argued that in 1990, government had defended him, but has now suddenly changed its stand to victimise him for speaking against the CM by filing an affidavit in the Supreme Court.
Bhatt is presently out on bail following his arrest on September 30 in connection with an FIR filed against him by a police constable for alleged an threat, wrongful confinement, restrain and making him sign a false affidavit about Bhatt's presence in the meeting called by Modi on February 27, 2002, after the Godhra train burning incident.
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