The Supreme Court, in a recent ruling, dismissed three petitions filed by former IPS Officer Sanjiv Bhatt, imposing a cumulative fine of ₹3 lakh on him for persistently filing pleas related to a long-standing drug planting case.
The bench, comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Rajesh Bindal, levied a fine of ₹1 lakh for each of the petitions. Bhatt’s petitions raised concerns about the fairness in the handling of the drug planting case against a lower court judge. His requests encompassed directions to present additional evidence, audio and video recordings, and the transfer of the trial, among other issues.
During the hearing, the bench inquired about the number of times Bhatt had approached the apex court previously. The court remarked,
“Last time also, Rs 10,000 was imposed.”
Senior Advocate Devadatt Kamat, representing Bhatt, contended that Bhatt had merely sought audio-video recordings, asserting that such a request was not unlawful. Kamat also challenged the Gujarat High Court’s observations that Bhatt was intentionally delaying the trial. He argued,
“There has to be some reasoning. How can me calling prosecution witnesses as defence witnesses be termed vexatious?”
However, the Court highlighted Bhatt’s consistent pattern of filing petitions before the Supreme Court. The bench stated,
“Dismissed with costs of ₹1 lakh each for the three cases. He has been approaching court with the best of lawyers, certainly he can do something for the Gujarat advocates.”
The court directed that the imposed costs be paid to the Gujarat High Court Advocates’ Association (GHCAA).
Bhatt, who was arrested in 2018 in connection with the drug planting case, has remained in custody since then. He faces multiple other charges, including a 1990 custodial death case for which he received a life sentence in 2019. His arrest came shortly after the detention of activist Teesta Setalvad and former State Director General of Police RB Sreekumar, both connected to the 2002 Gujarat riots.
