Ahmedabad, May 24: Controversial IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt on Monday alleged that Amit Shah as Minister of State for Home had asked him not to reveal the truth before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) appointed by the Supreme Court to probe into some of the post-Godhra riot cases of 2002.
However, the Gujarat Government Counsel questioned Bhatt’s credibility as a witness on the basis of his past track record, including instances of misuse of powers.
Bhatt, who had earlier alleged that Chief Minister Narendra Modi had during a meeting on Feb 27, 2002, had asked the police to “allow Hindus to vent their anger” following the killing of 58 Kar Sewaks in the Godhra train inferno, was cross-examined before the Nanavati-Mehta Commission for the second time today.
During his cross-examination, Bhatt was asked whether anybody in the Government had briefed him before his deposition in the SIT in November 2009.
Bhatt claimed that Shah had tried to coerce him to hush up the truth before the SIT.
Government Counsel S.B.Vakil said that Bhatt’s credibility as witness is under doubt as “he is an officer who would go to any extent to prove his point in accusing others”.
Vakil pointed out to the Commission that a departmental memo was issued to Bhatt on three counts like misuse of TADA, police atrocities and imposition of indefinite curfew without powers.
The matter cited by Vakil pertains to arrest by Bhatt, then a newly joined Assistant Superintendent of Police posted at Jamjodhpur in Jamnagar district, of 133 riotous people under TADA following the stoppage of BJP stalwart L.K.Advani’s ‘Rath’ at Bihar in October 1990.
One of those arrested under TADA, Prabhudas Vaishnavi, had died on Nov 18, 1990 allegedly due to police torture guided by Bhatt, then only a month into service after the mandatory trainings at Mussoorie and Hyderabad.
——–Agencies