Click to play videoNew Delhi: He dared to take on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi head on and now finds himself behind bars. Suspended IPS officer Sanjeev Bhatt was on Friday arrested by the Ahmedabad police for wrongful confinement and providing false evidence.
Search operations were also conducted by police at Bhatt's residence.
Bhatt, who had implicated Gujarat CM Narendra Modi in the 2002 riots, has been arrested by the Gandhinagar police. Bhatt was arrested for allegedly forcing a constable to file a false affidavit supporting his claim that he was present in the meeting of CMs where Modi allegedly asked police to go slow during 2002 riots.
The arrest made on an affidavit by a former Bhatt subordinate officer K D Pant alleging that he was forced to stand as an alibi for the incidents that happened on the night on February 27, 2002 at the CM's residence, that is a day before the communal flare up in Gujarat.
Bhatt, however, refused to comment on this saying, "I cannot say anything right now as I am in police custody. It is not the right time. If I want I can say lot of things but would not like to comment. It is now for media to decide what is right and what is wrong."
Bhatt's lawyer said, "They have selected this day because it's the last working day of the Supreme court. And after this there is a vacation of 10 days."
Bhatt has for the last twelve months been consistently at loggerheads with the state government.
In April this year, Bhatt filed a detailed affidavit in the SC, listing what happened on the night of Feb 27, 2002.
He followed it up with an additional affidavit stating how the Gujarat government was systematically subverting justice in several key cases.
Earlier this week, Bhatt had filed another affidavit in the Gujarat High Court, claiming that he was in posession of documentary evidence pointing towards the involvement of some ruling party politicians in the Haren Pandya murder.
Social activist Teesta Sitalwad said, "Gujarat govt is both vindictive and desperate. It's clear-cut case to intimidate a key witness in Haren Pandya murder case and Zajia Jafri case."
Bhatt's arrest has evoked sharp responses in the political circles.
Prakash Javdekar said, "Now anyone who says that Sanjeev Bhatt was a whistle blower should go and check SIT report."
Commenting on Gujarat CM, Renuka Chaudhury, Congress leader, said, "As we don't know Modi's way to conduct! It was bound to happen."
Suspended IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt invited the ire of the Gujarat government way back in April, when he filed his affidavit in the Supreme Court. But what hastened his arrest on Friday is the fact that he filed an affidavit in the Gujarat High Court three days ago, stating that he had documentary evidence against top state government functionaries in the Haren Pandya killing case.
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest)
More on IBNLive Right Now
TOP NEWS
MOST SHARED
PHOTOGALLERY
