CHANDIGARH, India

A former Indian police officer, critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was sentenced to life imprisonment in connection to a 1990 custodial death case.

A court in western Indian state of Gujarat Thursday pronounced the judgement in the case, convicting Sanjiv Bhatt. He has been in jail since September 2018 under another charge.

According to Indian news agency Press Trust of India, the court convicted Bhatt and his ex-colleague Pravinsinh Zala under the charge of murder and sentenced them to life in prison.

In 1990, Bhatt, who was then additional superintendent of police had detained around 150 people following communal riots in Jamjodhpur town. One of those detainees died in a hospital after his release. Subsequently, a case was registered in the matter.

“After the complete trial in 1990 Jam Jodhpur custodial death case, Jamnagar Sessions Court today booked accused Sanjeev Bhatt and Pravinsinh Jhala under section 302 while the others are booked for torturing,” Indian News agency ANI quoted public prosecutor Tushar Gokani as saying after the hearing.

The ex-police officer was suspended in 2011 was sacked in 2015 for unauthorized absence from duty.

Bhatt has long been critical of Modi as he filed an affidavit in Supreme Court accusing the Indian premier, who was then Chief Minister of Gujarat, of complicity in the 2002 anti-Muslim riots.

The 2011 affidavit stated that Modi directed top police officers to "allow the Hindus to vent their anger" during the Gujarat riots that killed over 1,000 people, vast majority of whom were Muslims. Modi has been denying any wrongdoing.

Last year, the Gujarat police took Bhatt in custody for an alleged drug planting case from 1996.