Court issues notice to Guj govt on Bhatt's bail plea

AHMEDABAD: A local court here today issued notice to the Gujarat government on the bail plea of suspended IPS officer Sanjeev Bhatt, who was arrested on Friday on the basis of an FIR lodged against him on charges of threatening and fabricating evidence.

Sessions Court Judge V K Vyas, while issuing the notice to the state government, fixed the hearing on Bhatt's bail plea for tomorrow.

Bhatt was arrested on the basis of the FIR filed against him by police constable K D Pant for allegedly threatening him and forcing to sign a false affidavit with regard to a meeting called by Chief Minister Narendra Modi on February 27, 2002, hours after the Godhra train carnage.

He has been booked under IPC sections 341 (causing wrongful restraint), 342 (causing wrongful confinement), 195 (giving fabricated evidence) and 189 (threat of injury to public servant).

Police plea for Bhatt's remand was rejected on Saturday by the court and he had been sent to judicial custody. He is presently lodged in Sabarmati jail.

Bhatt has been locked in a public confrontation with Modi after he had filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court accusing the Chief Minister of complicity in the 2002 riots.

Bhatt was also served a charge sheet by Gujarat Home Department in connection with his alleged unauthorised absence from duty.