Senior IPS officer Sanjeev Bhatt was suspended on Monday night with immediate effect on the grounds that “his conduct was unbecoming of an IPS officer.”
He has been locked in a public confrontation with the Gujarat government over the 2002 post-Godhra riots.
The Narendra Modi government ordered the suspension of the Inspector General-rank officer with immediate effect on the grounds that his conduct was unbecoming of an IPS officer.
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A letter from the State Home department was handed over to Mr. Bhatt at his residence, an official said.
“They (government) have suspended me with immediate effect. They can do anything they want,” Mr. Bhatt told PTI after receiving the suspension letter. Mr. Bhatt is currently the Principal of SRP Training school at Junagadh.
The specific reasons cited against Mr. Bhatt was unauthorised absence of duty, non-appearance before a departmental panel and alleged misuse of official vehicle.
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Mr. Bhatt, who has earlier accused Mr. Modi of misusing State machinery during the post-Godhra riots, alleged recently that SIT probe details on riots cases were leaked to a top law officer of the State government. He had also accused Mr. Modi of asking cops to ignore calls for help from a section of the victims during the riots.
Mr. Bhatt, in his 19-page supplementary affidavit filed before the Supreme Court last week, alleged that someone from within the Special Investigation Team (SIT) was leaking sensitive and confidential details related to investigations conducted by it to Additional Advocate General Tushar Mehta.
Mr. Bhatt alleged in the affidavit that he had seen e-mails from the SIT probing the riots cases in the personal mail account of Mr. Mehta.
Mr. Mehta on his part lodged a complaint with the State cyber cell last Friday accusing Mr. Bhatt of hacking his e-mails.