Police jeep set on fire in 2023: Accused knocks on Gujarat HC door, citing ‘bipolar disorder’: ‘Perceived myself as ‘Batman’

The petitioner also informed the court that he was arrested on the same day as the incident on September 10, 2023 and produced before a magistrate the following day, where he was granted bail.

Gujarat High Court, Ellisbridge police station, police jeep, arson,

The Gujarat High Court will hear the matter on December 16. (File photo)

The Gujarat High Court on Monday issued notice to the state while hearing a petition for quashing of an FIR lodged against a man for allegedly setting afire a police jeep parked near the Ellisbridge police station in September 2023.

In his submissions before the court, the 48-year-old petitioner stated he suffers from a “high degree bipolar disorder” and had “perceived himself to be the character by the name Batman” when he indulged in the alleged act.

On Monday, Justice VK Vyas of the Gujarat HC considered the submissions made by the counsel appearing for the petitioner and issued notice to the state as well as the then police sub-inspector attached to Ellisbridge police station. The court also orally remarked that the petitioner must move an application before the magistrate as per the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyay Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, for an inquiry to form a judicial opinion about the condition of the accused at the time when the crime was committed.

A senior advocate appearing for the petitioner submitted medical records before the court on Monday to state that he was “suffering from bipolar disorder with psychotic basis and is on medication since 2017 and undergoing periodic treatment”. The petitioner’s counsel also informed the court that the petitioner’s aged mother takes care of him.

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The petitioner’s counsel stated, “My only request is that primarily he has committed an offence… but the police have not even taken these documents (medical records) on record in the chargesheet. Without these, I will never be able to prove my innocence…” The petitioner also submitted to the court that

He suffered from a bipolar disease of a high degree, which “occurs phases and does not remain with a person forever”. The counsel submitted to the court, “On a day that the phase is there, he may be feeling elated … or he may be violent. He starts perceiving himself to be somebody. He may start perceiving himself to be a social worker and even police inspector some day… The day his incident occurred, he had started feeling that he is a character by the name Batman. He was in that relevant zone at that point of time. His house is very close to the police station. He went to the police jeep, took some papers from the jeep and burnt it and then kept it back and went out.”

The petitioner also informed the court that he was arrested on the same day as the incident on September 10, 2023 and produced before a magistrate the following day, where he was granted bail. Thereafter, he was admitted to a hospital for treatment and then to a rehabilitation center in Bengaluru.

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The court orally remarked, “The magistrate has to form the opinion whether at the time of the incident he was of a sound mind or not…”

The HC will hear the matter on December 16.