Complainant makes U-turn in 30-yr-old case against Bhatt

Two days after a man told the Gujarat High Court that he wanted to withdraw the 30-year-old case against ex IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt of custodial torture in Jamnagar on Thursday took a U-turn. He told the court that after “interacting” with his family he “realised” that his decision of withdrawal of the complaint was not “appropriate.”

The complainant Mahesh Chitroda, 59, filed an affidavit in the court of Justice Nikhil S Kariel, stating that he had intended to withdraw his private complaint on Tuesday through his advocate Vijay H Patel.

“Thereafter, in the evening and today I interacted about my decision with my family members and I realised that my decision of withdrawal of my complaint is not appropriate hence, I now intend to withdraw my instruction about withdrawal of my complaint,” stated the affidavit Chitroda submitted in the court through his advocate Patel.

On Tuesday, after Patel told the court that Chitroda wanted to withdraw his complaint, Justice Kariel had directed him to file an affidavit. The court remarked that “all this could have been avoided” and “so much constructive work during this period” could have been done by the court, advocates and the other litigants.

The court was hinting on how it had heard the litigation at length for more than a week. Justice Kariel had also remarked, “Since it is a flip-flop, let’s wait till the actual affidavit is filed.” Meanwhile, the state government had told the court that it did not have any objection if the case was withdrawn.

The case deals with Chitroda and two others-Ravji Harjibhai and Chetan Jani- who had filed criminal complaints against Bhatt of custodial torture. The case was related to a rioting incident in 1990 occurred under Jamkhambhaliya police station in Jamnagar district.

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