Sanjiv Bhatt: Prisoner of conscience?

Sanjiv Bhatt can be best described as a rarity in the Gujarat police force. The IPS officer has again hit the headlines after he was arrested by the police Friday on a complaint lodged few months ago. The top cop has openly challenged chief minister Narendra Modi by accusing him of wanting to teach Muslims a lesson after the Godhra train attack in 2002. He was arrested on an FIR filed on June 24 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. A post graduate from the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, has been accused of threatening a public servant, fabricating false evidence and wrongful confinement. He is among the few direct-recruit Gujaratis in the IPS. The 47-year-old IPS officer of the 1988 batch, who recently was suspended for refusing to report to his posting as the principal of the police Training College in Junagadh, had filed an affidavit to the Supreme Court accusing Modi of instructing officers to allow Hindus 'to vent their anger' during the post-Godhra riots. In his affidavit, Bhatt had clearly mentioned that Modi had allegedly hinted to his officers to allow Hindus to vent their anger on the Muslims in the aftermath of the train carnage at Godhra which left 59 passengers, mostly Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) activists, burnt to cinders. Even as there were questions as to why Bhatt broke his silence on the secret meeting after so many years, the affidavit proved to be the first direct evidence against Modi before the SC. In his affidavit he had also cast his doubts on the functioning of the SC appointed- Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by RK Raghavan, into the riots that followed the Feb 27, 2002 train burning. Allotted the Gujarat cadre on joining the IPS, Bhatt has served in various capacities in the state. From December 1999 to September 2002, he served as deputy commissioner of intelligence in the State Intelligence Bureau in Gandhinagar. His job was to keep tabs on internal security, border and coastal security and security of vital installations. He was also entrusted with the security of the chief minister. The officer has found support in the victims of the 2002 riots, activists groups and NGOs who have come together to express solidarity with him. Bhatts supporters have termed his arrest as unconstitutional. Sanjiv Bhatt stood up and tried to speak about the role of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, and now the government is harassing his family and him," said social activist Teesta Setalvad.

To add to his woes, the state government has denied him the bail and his wife has accused them of harassing him and treating him like a terrorist. Sanjiv Bhatt is the only whistle blower police officer, who has given evidence against Modi and has for the first time put in black and white the fact that Modi was involved in 2002 Gujarat carnage. Though Modis involvement was talked about in under tones all these eight years but no one had the courage to take on Modi, knowing his vindictive ways of functioning.