Wife fears for Sanjiv Bhatt’s life,Gujarat Police say no threat

“The Bhatt’s wife had submitted a letter to the Police Control Room,saying there is a threat to his life as his custody has been handed over to crime branch,” he said.

“Bhatt will be soon produced in the court,which will decide about further action on the complaint against him.”

A day after Bhatt was arrested,his wife has written a letter to the Gujarat DGP,Ahmedabad police commissioner and the chief judicial magistrate apprehending danger to the life of her husband,because he was shifted to the crime branch.

Shweta Bhatt,in her letter written late Friday night said that her husband was moved from the Ghatlodia police station where the offence is registered against him to the city crime branch at Gaekwad Haveli which she said was ‘directly under the control of chief minister Narendra Modi’.

“It may be noted that the city crime branch has the bad reputation of most of the fake encounters in Ahmedabad,” said Bhatt.

She demanded that his lawyer be allowed to remain present during his interrogation just like former minister Amit Shah was allowed to keep his lawyer when he was interrogated in the custody of CBI in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case.

Suspended IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt was arrested on Friday afternoon after a constable who worked with him in the intelligence branch in 2002 complained that he had forced him to falsely testify before the amicus curiae.

The city police raided Bhatt’s house after the arrest looking for some papers.

Shweta Bhatt told Indian Express on Saturday,“They went about rampaging my house and I believe they were looking for some affidavit,because they made me sign a paper that said – no affidavit was found here.”

“In wake of these circumstances,I have written letters to Director General of Police Chitranjan Singh,Ahmedabad Police Commissioner Sudhir Sinha and Chief Judicial Magistrate of a local court,narrating what is happening with us and demanding justice,” she said.

“We shall never get justice in Gujarat,” she felt.

Sanjiv Bhatt is likely to be produced before a local court here later in the day.

Bhatt,who had implicated Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in the 2002 post-Godhra riots,was arrested on Friday after a police constable filed an FIR against him.

Constable K D Pant,who had worked under Bhatt during the 2002 riots,in the FIR accused the IPS officer of threatening a public servant,fabricating false evidence and wrongful confinement. Bhatt’s questioning was underway.

“Bhatt has been arrested and is being questioned,” City Police Commissioner Sudhir Sinha said.

Pant alleged that Bhatt had threatened and forced him to sign a “false” affidavit that the IPS officer was present at a high-level meeting called by Modi on the night of February 27,2002 after the Godhra train attack. Some questions have been also raised whether Bhatt was present.

According to Bhatt,Modi is alleged to have said at the meeting that the Hindus should be allowed to vent their anger and that Muslims should be taught a lesson.

Bhatt has been locked in a public confrontation with Modi after he filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court accusing the BJP leader of complicity in the 2002 riots. He was also served a chargesheet by the Gujarat Home department in connection with his alleged unauthorised absence from duty.