On Friday (July 15), the Special Investigation Team that has been probing the allegations of evidence fabrication in the 2002 Gujarat riots case against Sanjiv Bhatt informed an Ahmedabad sessions court that a political conspiracy against Narendra Modi was hatched at the behest of former Congress leader Ahmed Patel.
The report submitted by the SIT revealed that tainted IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, along with former DGP R B Sreekumar and ‘activist’ Teesta Setalvad accepted a total of Rs 30 lakhs from Ahmed Patel, the political advisor of the Congress president Sonia Gandhi, to frame then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi and destabilise his government following 2002 Gujarat riots.
There are several articles, blogs, tweets, and videos in support of Mr. Sanjiv Bhatt. But I have chosen just 7 Screenshots. Each tweet shows support for Mr. Sanjiv Bhatt who is currently serving a life sentence in a prison in Gujarat. Journalists of national repute and Political parties are in full support of this convicted IPS and a political party has gone on to offer seats to his family to fight elections or other parties visiting the family and showing complete solidarity with ex-IPS and a convict Sanjiv Bhatt. This is the ecosystem that supports all the wrongdoings as long as they are against Narendra Modi, BJP, or RSS. The crime and the deeds are overlooked as long as Hindus are being abused and Modi is being targeted.
All standards are lowered and in spite of knowing all facts, they are ignored as this person is perceived as the one challenging Modi. Several NGOs, Journalists, and opposition leaders openly support Sanjiv Bhatt and create a narrative that he is being persecuted because he had the courage to speak against Modi and BJP in Gujarat. A picture is painted that a great injustice is happening to the ex-IPS and his life is in danger. Such news is then picked up and amplified internationally damaging our national interest.
For those of us who do not have much time to go into minute details, the credibility of such journalists or News Channels is enough to make an opinion. This entire narrative setting is done with a synchronised ecosystem of well-placed people in good places.
The recent judgment by Supreme Court is a rare opportunity to expose such an ecosystem and to show the world and people how a system is in place that can make a crime look like a struggle just because they want to wrest power back.
From the Supreme Court Judgement :
On the basis of the further investigation conducted into the two typed fax messages NO.D-2/2-COM/ALERT/100/2002, dated 27.02.2002 and D-2/2-COM/ALERT/174/2002, dated 28.02.2002, it is conclusively established that Shri Sanjiv Bhatt did not produce the same or copies thereof before any of the authorities before December 2011, though a number of opportunities arose for him to do so. From the records of D-2 section, it is conclusively established that one of these fax messages was issued/dispatched from the said section of State IB.
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Besides that Shri P.B. Upadhyay, the then DCI (Communal), and Shri I.V. Pathan, AIO, who is posted in D-2 Section since the year 2000 till date, have categorically stated that neither of those two fax messages were issued from their section and that copies thereof are not available in the records of the State IB. Shri O.P. Mathur, the then IGP (P & C) has categorically stated that fax message NO.D-2/2-COM/ALERT/100/2002, dated 27.02.2002 was a fabricated document and that his initials thereon are not genuine. Shri G.C. Raiger, the then Addl. D.G.(Int) has denied his initials on the fax message No. D-2/2-COM/ALERT/174/2002, dated 28.02.2002, and has stated that the same has been forged by someone.
No such fax message was ever sent by Shri Sanjiv Bhatt. Shri Gordhan Zadafia, the then MoS (Home), Shri V.J.Patel, the then P.S. to MoS (Home), Dr. P.K. Mishra, the then Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Shri Ashok Narayan, the then ACS (Home) and Shri P.C. Pande, the then CP, Ahmedabad City, to whom the aforesaid fax messages were claimed to have been sent by Shri Sanjiv Bhatt, all have denied receiving any such fax messages. The very fact that there is no reference to fax message No. 174 dated 28.02.2002 by Control Room in fax message No.178 actually sent on 28.02.2002 after the Gulbarg Society incident, would conclusively prove that no such message was sent earlier on 28.02.2002. The oral and documentary evidence available on record would therefore conclusively prove that these fax messages now produced by Shri Bhatt have been fabricated subsequently with an ulterior motive, and have been produced by Shri Sanjiv Bhatt for the first time before the Nanavati Commission of Inquiry and subsequently before SIT in January 2012. No reliance can, therefore, be placed upon both these fax messages
“They stated in one voice that Mr. Sanjiv Bhatt was not present in the review meeting convened under the Chairmanship of the then Chief Minister. The SIT had also collected relevant documentary evidence to establish the falsity of the claim of Mr. Sanjiv Bhatt of being present in that meeting.”
Shri Sanjiv Bhatt, the then Deputy Commissioner of intelligence (Security) claimed to have attended the said meeting at the insistence of DGP. No Cabinet Minister was present in the said meeting. Shri Gordhan Zadafia, MOS (Home) also did not attend the meeting, as he had stayed back at Godhra. Shri Sanjiv Bhatt, the then Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence (Security) has claimed after more than seven years, to have attended the said meeting.”
The SIT then analyzed the claim of Mr. Sanjiv Bhatt that he was present in the meeting by referring to official records including the call records of his mobile phone No. 9825049398 to conclude that he had made a false plea of being present in the stated meeting. The SIT has referred to the materials collected during the investigation clearly reflecting the conduct of Mr. Sanjiv Bhatt including his false claim of being present in the stated meeting. The final report has analyzed these aspects in detail.
During the course of the further investigation, a complaint was received from Shri Dharmesh P. Shukla, an accused in CR117 pages 255-257 of the original copy of the final report forming part of Convenience Compilation of respondent No. 2
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No.67/2002 of Meghaninagar P.S. (Gulberg Society case), who is facing trial, contended that there was no justification to record the statement of Shri Sanjiv Bhatt on account of the following reasons:-
i. Shri Sanjiv Bhatt, IPS is known to be a police officer with a dubious character facing several criminal cases of serious nature and wherever he wants a favour from the Govt. he creates a situation whereby the Govt. is compelled to help him.
ii. Shri Sanjiv Bhatt, who had not even whispered about any such meeting in the past surprisingly came out with a new theory that he was a part of the meeting.
iii. That a sudden position by Shri Sanjiv Bhatt after nine years of silence and his insistence to record his statement only after an offense is registered, is at the behest of some vested interest.
iv. It is a matter known to almost everyone in Gujarat that Shri Sanjiv Bhat is known to be an officer pressurising everyone to get illegal favours.
Since the allegations levelled in the complaint were serious, a communication was sent to the Govt. to make available the details of all complaints/pending inquiries/prosecutions /departmental proceedings etc. against Shri Sanjiv Bhat. A detailed reply has been received from the Govt. of Gujarat, which shows that Shri Sanjiv Bhatt has faced a number of departmental inquiries and he was granted three promotions of Junior Administrative Grade, Selection Grade, and DIG Grade on one day i.e. 21- 09-2007, after dropping of three departmental inquiries pending against him vide orders dated 06-08-2005, 03-09- 2005 & 24-07-2006. Shri Sanjiv Bhat, who is eligible for the IGP grade has not been promoted since because of the departmental inquiries and criminal cases pending against him. A charge sheet served upon him on 29-12-2010, for irregularities in police recruitment under his Chairmanship as SP, Banaskantha is still pending.
While handling a law and order situation during his posting as ASP Jamnagar in the year 1990, Shri Sanjiv Bhatt committed atrocities on peaceful and innocent villagers belonging to a particular community at a place called Jam Jodhpur. One person was killed as well due to the brutal police violence. The victims included a pregnant woman, two assistant engineers of the irrigation department, and one circle officer of the Revenue Department.
Shri Bhatt applied provisions of draconian law TADA against innocent persons and arrested 140 individuals under this Act. Due to public pressure, the Government got an inquiry conducted by a retired Judicial Officer into the incident and Shri Bhatt was found guilty of (a) misuse of TADA (b) police atrocities and (c) unnecessary imposition of curfew for 70 hrs leading to hardship and harassment to the people.
The Criminal case of the death of a person due to police atrocities in the incident was investigated by State CID (Crime) against Shri Sanjiv Bhatt and others. After completion of the investigation, the IO sought prosecution sanction from the Government u/s 197 Cr.PC, which was declined, and therefore, a closure report was filed in the competent court. However, the Court rejected the closure report on 20-12-1995 and took cognizance. The State Government filed a Criminal Revision Application in the Sessions Court later on, which was rejected.
The case u/s 302, 323, 506(1), 114 of IPC has now been committed to Sessions Court, Jamnagar, and is presently with the Fast Track Court Khambhalia for framing of charges against Shri Sanjiv Bhatt and others.
Significantly, Gujarat High Court awarded a compensation of Rs.1,50,000/- to the victim who had died due to police atrocities in the above case.
Another criminal complaint was filed against Shri Sanjiv Bhatt, while he was posted at SP, Banaskantha District in 1996 by Shri Sumersingh Rajpurohit, an Advocate practicing at Pali, Rajasthan, and a criminal case was registered against Shri Sanjiv Bhatt & others vide FIR No.403/96 dated 18-11-1996 u/s 120B, 195, 196, 342, 347, 357, 365, 388, 458, 482 IPC and Sec. 58(1) & 58(2) of NDPS Act. On completion of the investigation, the charge sheet was filed against Shri Sanjiv Bhatt & others u/s 114, 120B, 323, 342, 348, 357, 365, 368, 388, 452, 201 & 482 IPC and Sec. 9, 17, 18, 29, 58(1) & 58(2) r/w Sec. 37 of NDPS Act in the court of Spl. Judge, NDPS Act, Jodhpur, Rajasthan. The allegations, in brief, are that the complainant Advocate was occupying a property as a tenant in Pali (Rajasthan), which was owned by a lady, who happened to be a sister of Shri R.R. Jain, a sitting Judge of Gujarat High Court.
As per the said criminal complaint, Shri Sanjiv Bhatt and his subordinate police officers allegedly planted 1 1/2 kg of Narcotic drug in one room in a hotel at Palanpur, Gujarat, which was shown as occupied by the said complainant, though he was in Pali (Rajasthan) at that time. The said Advocate was abducted at midnight on the instructions of Shri Sanjiv Bhatt by his subordinate police officers of Gujarat police, who went from Palanpur, Gujarat to Pali (Rajasthan) to abduct him. The said Advocate was brought to Palanpur, Gujarat, and pressurized by Shri Sanjiv Bhatt and his subordinate police officers to vacate the said property by showing him arrested under NDPS offense.
The said Advocate, while in the custody of Gujarat Police and due to police torture, vacated the property and physical possession of the property was handed over to the sister of Shri R.R. Jain, Judge of Gujarat High Court. Shri Sanjiv Bhatt and his subordinate police officers, thereafter released Shri Sumersingh Rajpurohit on 08-05-1996, by filing a report u/s 169 Cr.PC, in which it was mentioned that Shri Sumersingh could not be identified in the Test Identification Parade. Quashing petitions were filed in this matter by the accused persons in Rajasthan and Gujarat High Court, but the same have been dismissed. The matter is now pending before the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India.
Significantly, Gujarat Vigilance Commission recommended twice on 15-07-2002 and 19-10-2006 that Shri Sanjiv Bhatt should be placed under suspension for his professional misconduct, but the Govt. of Gujarat did not do so.
In the meantime, on the complaint of Shri Sidheshwar Puri, Secretary, Bar Association, Pali (Rajasthan), the National Human Rights Commission taking a very serious view of this false case under NDPS Act vide its order dated 15-09-2010 asked Govt. of Gujarat to pay a sum of Rs. one lakh as monetary relief to Shri Sumersingh, Advocate, Pali.
“In view of the aforesaid position, it can be inferred that Shri Sanjiv Bhatt is facing a lot of problems in service matters and has got an axe to grind against the Govt. of Gujarat and, therefore, his evidence is ill motivated and cannot be relied upon”, the court noted.
Sanjiv Bhatt arrested by the crime branch of Gujarat police for embezzling funds and forging documents
The disgraced former IPS officer, who was lodged in Palanpur jail, was arrested on July 12 for falsifying evidence in the Gujarat riot case. Sanjiv Bhatt’s arrest came after the Police arrested former senior officer RB Sreekumar and activist Teesta Setalvad in the Gujarat riots case.
It is noteworthy that in a recent judgment in Zakia Jafri Case, the Supreme Court lashed out at Teesta Setalvad, Sreekumar, and Bhatt for falsifying evidence. The court categorically said that Setalvad tutored the witnesses during trials and ‘kept the pot boiling in the matter.’
The apex court had noted that the SIT investigation in the case showed that the statements given by Bhatt and Sreekumar alleging the role of then-Chief Minister Narendra Modi in letting the riots continue were false. The court also noted that the allegations made by the two against the senior officials over inaction were also fabricated.
Notably, when Sanjiv Bhatt was arrested by the Crime Branch of Gujarat Police in the Gujarat Riots case, he was already lodged in jail in connection with a custodial death in 1990. A Jamnagar Sessions Court had sentenced him to life imprisonment.
How the leftist ecosystem always rallied behind the disgraced cop and overlooked his misdeeds since he was targeting Modi
Against that backdrop, it is important to remember how, despite the innumerable crimes of Sanjiv Bhatt, he was turned into a hero because he was lying about Narendra Modi and the 2002 Gujarat riots. His own crimes and his reasons for going after Modi were brushed under the rug by sympathetic media because he was seen as the tool to bring Narendra Modi down.
The entire leftist ecosystem had got together to openly support Sanjiv Bhatt and create a narrative that he is being persecuted because he had the strength to speak against Modi and BJP in Gujarat. Several blogs and articles were written, and videos and Tweets were posted either hailing or sympathising with the tainted IPS officer.
This coterie of ‘liberals’ that included renowned journalists, opposition leaders, and almost the entire anti-Modi brigade rallied behind the disgraced cop for the simple reason that he was against Narendra Modi. The narrative that the leftists and their friendly media weaved was swiftly picked up by the international media and amplified to damage Indian national interest.
After his conviction in one case in June 2019, more lies were spread by the self-proclaimed ‘liberals’, and media outlets like BBC, who tried to imply that the reason for his conviction was the anti-Modi stance taken by him and not the 1990 case against him. This included Manu Joseph, a former contributor at Outlook weekly, who had initially made the same false charge which was later made by Sanjiv Bhatt, on Narendra Modi giving ‘orders to the police to allow Hindus to riot’ in a crucial meeting on 27 Feb 2002 held at CM’s Bungalow, in weekly Outlook dated 3 June 2002. Manu Joseph said: “I also believe that he is in jail right now only because he tried to destroy Modi.” [Manu Joseph’s report of Outlook 3 June 2002 was as false as Sanjiv Bhatt’s claims. To know the full truth of it, and the lies of Joseph in Outlook, click here.]
Despite the unwavering support the tainted officer received from many mainstream journalists and political leaders and workers, there is a truckload of evidence of Sanjiv Bhatt’s crimes and it can be rightly said that the ex-IPS officer has received what he deserves.
