Fundraising for Sanjiv Bhatt: Court orders inquiry

A metropolitan court here on Tuesday ordered an inquiry into a complaint filed against jailed ex-IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt for raising funds through social media to fight his legal battle and “injustice” meted out to him.

The chief metropolitan magistrate ordered inspector of Shahibaug police station to probe and file the report in three months under Section 202 of Code of Criminal Procedure.

The complainant, Amit B Solanki, a resident of Gandhinagar, has alleged that “in the name of crowdfunding, Bhatt is committing several criminal offences, including the offence of deceiving people to part with their money based on false facts.”

According to Solanki’s complaint, he started collecting information about cases against Bhatt for “helping a victim of vindictiveness who has no money.” But he found out “shocking facts which clearly establishes that, in the name of crowdfunding, Sanjiv Bhatt is committing several criminal offences including the offence of deceiving people to part with their money based on false facts.”

Solanki said through social media accounts on “Twitter and Facebook” he found out about a campaign, ‘Indians Fight for Justice’, through which Rs 1.50 crore was being raised for Bhatt. Solanki claimed that he had contributed Rs 11,000 and so far Rs 26 lakh has been collected for reasons such as security for Bhatt’s family, legal expenses and to rebuild his house that was demolished by civic authorities.

He has alleged that “Bhatt has received huge amounts in cash from various persons by arousing communal passions and misusing political views of the section of the people.”

Solanki states that Bhatt falsely claimed to be a witness in a post-Godhra riots case and a portion of his house was demolished as it was illegally constructed.

Bhatt’s family members and friends have been holding demonstrations and seeking help for him. He is currently lodged in a jail in Palanpur where he is being tried for framing a lawyer in a narcotics case.

He was recently sentenced to life imprisonment in a 30-year-old custodial death case. The family members have been alleging that the cases against him are a result of political vendetta.