Ahmedabad, April 10: Indian Police Service officer Sanjiv Bhatt’s battle against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has taken a new turn. Bhatt has now complained to the state Director General of Police for denying him access to police control room records of February 27, 2002.
The 1988 batch IPS officer of Gujarat cadre, who has accused Modi of categorically issuing instructions during a meeting with senior police officials on February 27, 2002 that Hindus should be allowed to express their anger and Muslims should be taught a befitting lesson so that incidents like the burning of Sabarmati Express never happen again in Gujarat, will depose before the Nanavati-Shah Commission on May 16, 2011.
Bhatt has also written to Special Investigation Team (SIT) Chairman RK Raghavan for certified copies of all statements that he has made before the SIT
Bhatt has claimed that he was present at the meeting at the Chief Minister’s Bungalow on February 27, 2002 where Modi asked police officers to go slow against rioters.
His claims have been denied by the Chief Minister and several senior police officers. However, a dismissed Gujarat constable, Naresh Brahmbhatt, has come out in support of Bhatt.
Brahmbhatt claims to have ‘proof’ that Bhatt was going to attend the controversial February 27, 2002 meeting.
Brahmbhatt says he was posted as head constable at the Memnagar Police Chowky on February 27, 2002 when he received a phone call from the state police control room to check why Bhatt had still not reached the Director General of Police’s office as he was called there for a meeting.
“When I went to Bhatt sir’s residence and enquired about him, I was told that he had already left,” said Brahmbhatt.
Brahmbhatt’s also claims to have noted down all that he did on February 27, 2002 from 9.30 AM to midnight in his station diary. He says the orders to go to Bhatt’s residence were oral orders and were not to be mentioned in the station diary.
The S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express was set on fire on February 27, 2002, killing 59 kar sevaks returning from Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh. The train burning incident sparked off the Gujarat riots in which over 1,000 people were killed. The trial conducted inside the Sabarmati Central Jail began in June 2009.
–Agencies