The Gujarat High Court on Thursday admitted the appeal filed by former IPS Sanjiv Bhatt against life imprisonment awarded by a Jamnagar court in connection with a custodial death case of 1990 when he was posted as the additional superintendent of police in the district.
The court also sought a reply from the state government by August 19 in connection with Bhatt's plea for suspension of sentence till the appeal is pending.
Sessions judge DM Vyas on June 20 had convicted the former top cop, as well as a constable Pravinsinh Zala, of murder under the Indian Penal Code and pronounced life sentence. The court had also convicted five other police personnel in the case—sub-inspectors Dipak Shah and Sailesh Pandya, and constables Pravinsinh Jadeja, Anopsinh Jethva, and Keshu Jadeja. All the five persons have been sentenced to two years in prison.