The Gujarat cadre IPS officer, Sanjiv Bhatt, was arrested on Friday on a complaint lodged some three months ago by constable K.D. Panth, once his driver, who alleged that Mr. Bhatt had “threatened and forced” him to sign a “false affidavit” to support the officer's claim that he was present at the meeting in the Chief Minister's residence on February 27, 2002.
At the meeting, it was claimed that Mr. Modi issued a “directive” to police officers to “allow the Hindus to vent their anger” on the minorities.
Mr. Panth, currently attached to the Meghaninagar police station — which has jurisdiction over the area covering the Gulberg Society where a massacre had taken place during the riots — had lodged the complaint with the Ghatlodiya police station in Ahmedabad. On the complaint, the police registered the FIR against Mr. Bhatt for “threatening a public servant, fabricating false evidence and wrongful confinement” and initiated investigation.
Mr. Bhatt, in his affidavit before the Supreme Court in April, mentioned Mr. Panth as one of some half-a-dozen witnesses who would testify his presence in the February 27 meeting at Mr. Modi's residence. Mr. Bhatt had claimed that while he travelled in the then Director-General of Police, K. Chakravarthi's official car to the residence of the Chief Minister, Mr. Panth was following them driving his (Mr. Bhatt's) official car and was aware that they had gone to attend the meeting convened by Mr. Modi.
Mr. Panth claimed that he had protested against the forced signing of the affidavit and told Mr. Bhatt that he had already informed the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team that he was on leave in February 2002, when communal riots broke out and there was no question of his having any knowledge of the IPS officer's movements.
Mr. Bhatt's arrest comes within 48 hours of his having filed another affidavit, this time in the Gujarat High Court, alleging the indirect involvement of the Chief Minister and his former Minister of State for Home, Amit Shah, in the murder of another former Minister Haren Pandya.
Mr. Bhatt had claimed that Mr. Modi and Mr. Shah had repeatedly asked him to destroy some “very important documentary evidences” regarding Mr. Pandya's murder, but he refused to oblige them.
His arrest was condemned by human rights activists who said it was “yet another instance of fascism thriving in the State.”
The former Chief Minister and Congress leader, Shankarsinh Waghela, said it was an example of the Modi government's “vindictive attitude.”
Keywords: Sanjiv Bhatt, Gujarat riots
There is no place for honest officers in India. No matter whether it is BJP or Congress, they are all the wolf in sheep's clothing. Mr. Sanjeev Bhatt is an honest IPS officer and an IITian. If his ambition in life is only money and fame, he could have easily went on with his career as an Engineer and made tons and tons of money in a faraway place. But there must be something in him that inspired him to be a policeman. In a short stint as a superintendent of the prison he is currently lodged in, he instituted great reforms so much so the prisoners went on a dharna when he was transferred out within a short stint.
Bhatt or likes make false allegations at the behest of ant-Modi brigade
Being a serving officer of the state government Bhatt joined hands with
congress and conspired to defame Modi and his Government by fabricating
false affidavit,the Government can't sit silent and the action initiated
against Bhatt should have been taken earlier.
It is disturbing to see that Mr. Sanjiv Bhatt was arrested. It shows how the modi government has involved in the riots and trying to undercover the evidences. The congress government has to come forward and they only can stop this crimnal act.
When a gazetted officer squeals he gets what is coming to him. There is politics involved and Mr.Bhatt is ranged against Mr.Modi, and is possibly aided and abetted by some politicians.Forget all this. What is his response to the specific charges? Not just 'political vendetta', I hope.
Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. The Government employees who opens their mouth against the establishment have to face the wrath,Whether Bhat, Mallika sarabhai, Aravind Kejarwal or Bedi-Bhushans. The state of Indian democracy is such that the reign of government is in the hands of few corporate-land-mine mafias. The average Indians are inebriated by religion-cast-language-region and other groups. The people's mind to be awakened.
The King in the history books had the Authority to Kill any one who goes against his wish. I think this is exactly what is happening in Gujarat. I have Just one question. Is this Democracy?
This retraction of statement by the driver seems more to be a case of pressure not by Bhatt but by the State Government.By trying to stifle Bhatt the State Government(Mr Modi) is drawing more attention on its handling of post Godra riots.The State Government seems to be trying to hide/pressurise dissent against it and not allowing Bhatt to give evidence freely.This is self defeating.
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