SC refused to suspend former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt’s 20-year jail term in the 1996 drug planting case, affirming the Palanpur court’s conviction 

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to suspend the 20-year jail sentence awarded to former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt in a 1996 drug seizure case.

The Bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi said it was not inclined to entertain Bhatt’s plea challenging the sentence handed down by a sessions court in Gujarat’s Banaskantha district.

Bhatt had approached the Apex Court seeking suspension of the sentence, arguing that his conviction stemmed from a fabricated case relating to an alleged drug recovery from a hotel room in Palanpur almost three decades ago. The trial court had found him guilty of falsely implicating a Rajasthan-based lawyer, Sumersingh Rajpurohit, by claiming drugs were recovered from his hotel room in 1996.

According to the prosecution, the Banaskantha police under Bhatt’s command had arrested the lawyer to pressure him into transferring a disputed property in Rajasthan. The Rajasthan Police later stated that Rajpurohit had been framed.

Bhatt, who was dismissed from service in 2015, has been lodged in Palanpur sub-jail since his arrest by the Gujarat CID in September 2018 under the NDPS Act. The proceedings originated after former police inspector I.B. Vyas petitioned the Gujarat High Court in 1999 seeking a thorough inquiry.

Last year, Bhatt also sought transfer of the trial to another sessions court, alleging bias by the presiding judge. The Supreme Court dismissed that plea and imposed costs of ₹3 lakh, holding that his allegations were unfounded.

With the present plea rejected, Bhatt will continue serving his 20-year sentence unless he secures relief through other legal avenues.

The ruling was handed down by Additional Sessions Judge JN Thakkar, who found Bhatt guilty under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, as well as several provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Bhatt has been convicted under NDPS sections 21(c), 27A (pertaining to punishment for financing illicit traffic and harbouring offenders), and other relevant sections of the NDPS Act. Additionally, he has been found guilty under IPC sections 465 (Forgery), 471 (using forged document), 167 (public servant framing an incorrect document with intent to cause injury), 204 (secrets or destroys any document), 343 (wrongful confinement), 120B (criminal conspiracy), and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intent).

The Court had also imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh on Bhatt along with the prison sentence.

Bhatt's legal troubles trace back to his arrest in September 2018, following a directive from the Gujarat High Court to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to investigate a case involving the framing of Rajasthan-based lawyer Sumer Singh Rajpurohit by the Banaskantha police. The lawyer was accused of possessing 1.5 kg of opium at a Palanpur hotel in 1996. During this period, Bhatt served as the district superintendent of police, and another accused in the case was IB Vyas, an inspector with the local crime branch in Palanpur, who later turned approver in 2021.

The prosecution had alleged that Bhatt, along with other co-accused, conspired to frame Lawyer Rajpurohit under the NDPS Act. Last year, in August 2023, the Gujarat High Court dismissed Bhatt's plea seeking a transfer of his trial in the 1996 drug-planting case to a court in Banaskantha district.

The Court had noted, “There was no investigation regarding obtaining, keeping and planting of opium.”

“Various threats were made, the witnesses were feared by the accused who were serving as top police officials and the accused Sanjiv Bhatt had good connections with top police officials and political experts,” the Court had said. Considering the proceedings that took place before the high court last year, the Court had remarked, “The evidence which has been given in the name of the facts and the evidence which has been given accordingly in the reputed court should be accepted as it is worthy of respect.”

Case Title: SanjeevKumar RajendraBhai Bhatt v. State of Gujarat

Hearing Date: December 11, 2025

Bench: Justices JK Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi

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