Gulberg: SIT questions IPS officer

“We questioned him regarding the FIR lodged at Meghaninagar police station in 2004 along with a letter he had attached to it. We also questioned him on several other points but what he has told us needs to be thoroughly investigated further,” an SIT officer said.

Bhatt,a 1988 batch IPS officer,is presently posted as the principal of the State Reserve Police (SRP) Training Centre in Junagadh district. He was posted as DCP in State Intelligence Bureau in Gandhinagar during the 2002 riots.

Bhatt was one of the police officers present during the closed-door meeting at the Chief Minister’s residence on February 2002.

SIT sources said Bhatt had reportedly told the probe team earlier that he was called by the then Director General of Police K Chakravarthy to discuss intelligence failure at the Godhra Railway Station. Bhatt was also questioned about the CM’s meeting.

Bhatt confirmed he was questioned but refused to share details.

The Supreme Court had recently asked SIT to consider whether further probe was required into the complaint of Zakia Jafri,who wanted the role of Chief Minister Narendra Modi and 62 others examined.

The apex court,early this month,had also remarked that the SIT’s “inferences and evidence do not match with findings” and asked the panel to submit its report by April 25 on whether further investigations were required into Zakia’s complaint.