NEW DELHI: The supreme court on Wednesday convicted and sentenced five Gujarat police officers and one civil official for contempt of court and sentenced them to varying terms of imprisonment and fines for trate of Nadiad N.L.Patel to the police station there on Sept.25 two years ago forcibly administering liquor to him and arresting him for violation of the prohibition act.
The officials also handcuffed and paraded Patel in the streets of Nadiad and allowed press photographers to photograph him at the civil hospital when he was undergoing test for alcohol level.
The apex court quashed the proceedings initiated against Patel in the court of the chief judicial magistrate Nadiad as the foundation on which it had been lodged had been found to be false.
The convicted persons were inspector Sharma sub-inspector K.H.Sadia head constable Valjibhai Kelabhai constable Pratap Singh M.B.Sawant mamalatdar and D.K.Dhangal district superintendent Of police Kheda.
Inspector Sharma was sentenced to six months simple imprisonment and a fine of Rs.2000 subinspector Sadia five months simple imprisonment and Rs.2000 fine head constable Kelabhai and Pratap Singh two months simple imprisonment and a fine of Rs.500 each mamalatdar Sawant two months simple imprisonment and a fine of Rs.1000 and district superintendent of police Dhagal one month and a fine of Rs.1000.
The convicted officials were taken to the office of the registrar general of the apex court S Rai and served warrants of arrest after which they were taken to Tikar jail.
On the facts of the case the court said that chief judicial magistrate Patel had gone to the police station” in a police jeep on inspector Sharma’s invitation.
Article extracted from this publication >> September 20, 1991
