Former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt completed six years in prison on Thursday, marking a significant milestone in a controversial career that saw him entangled in high-profile legal battles.
His family issued a video on X (formerly Twitter) stating that Bhatt was being implicated for standing up against injustice in Gujarat state. “It has been 2207 days since the brave officer is behind bars. We appeal to the people to support those who speak up during these trying times when speaking up is criminalized. We will fight for Justice and ensure that he comes back,” his wife is heard saying in a video appeal.
This is Shweta Sanjiv Bhatt,
Today marks 6 years of Sanjiv's wrongful incarceration.
Our battle for justice continues….#justiceforsanjivbhatt #FreeSanjivBhatt #EnoughIsEnough pic.twitter.com/aZRXCduEBy
— Sanjiv Bhatt (IPS) (@sanjivbhatt) June 20, 2024
During the 2002 Gujarat riots, Bhatt, then serving as the deputy commissioner in charge of Internal Security at the State Intelligence Bureau, was among the first to warn about potential retaliatory violence following the Godhra train burning incident. The riots claimed nearly 1,000 lives, predominantly Muslims.
He gained national attention when he filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court accusing then-Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi of complicity in the 2002 anti-Muslim riots. His stance against the establishment continues to define his career.
In 2015, Bhatt was dismissed from police service and faced multiple legal cases initiated by the Gujarat government. The court’s verdict described him as involved in a “political conspiracy” influenced by NGOs, accused of creating political pressure.
In 2019, a Jamnagar sessions court sentenced Bhatt to life imprisonment in a case dating back to 1990, involving the custodial torture and death of Prabhudas Vaishnani. Bhatt and seven police officials were convicted in this case.
Most recently, a Gujarat court convicted Bhatt in a 1996 drug seizure case.
The case stemmed from allegations that Bhatt, along with others, planted drugs in a Palanpur hotel room where a Rajasthan-based lawyer, Sumer Singh Rajpurohit, was staying. Rajpurohit had been arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.