PUDR strongly condemns the recent arrest and harassment of IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt and his family by the Gujarat Government. We see this as a clear case of political vendetta unfolding against Bhatt since April 2011, when he revealed in an affidavit before the Supreme Court the alleged complicity of Chief Minister Narendra Modi in Gujrat riots of 2002. Bhatt has also leveled serious allegations against CM Modi and former home minister of Gujarat, Amit Shah of being involved in murder of Haren Pandya, a former ministerial colleague of Mr. Modi.
After his deposition, Bhatt made several complaints of harassment by the state government. In August 2011, the Gujarat Government suspended him on charges of dereliction of duty. This punitive action against Bhatt was coupled with serious, proxy and direct mudslinging on his career records. Further raising the tempo, Bhatt was arrested on September 30, on the basis of a complaint filed by K.D. Pant, a police constable who served under him. K.D. Pant lodged a complaint that Bhatt threatened and forced him to sign ‘false affidavit’ supporting the charges leveled by him against Modi’s complicity in Gujrat riots.
The no holds barred attack by the Gujarat Government against those interrogating its role in the 2002 carnage is quite evident by now. Rahul Sharma another IPS officer, who supplied records of telephonic conversation between important politicians and bureaucrats in the period of rioting to the SIT and Nanavati Commission, was charge sheeted by the Gujarat Government under Official Secrets Act. It is quite clear that the present arrest and harassment on Sanjiv Bhatt is simply because of ‘letting the truth out’. PUDR strongly condemns such vicious acts of the Gujarat Government.
While veracity of the truth in these allegations are to be judicially determined in free and fair manner, the intense targeting by the Gujrat government of Mr. Bhatt is yet another misdemeanor to derail the process of justice.
Harish Dhawan
Paramjeet Singh
(Secretaries PUDR )
(pudr@pudr.org)
