New Delhi, Oct 4: The Centre on Tuesday asked the Narendra Modi government to provide adequate security to arrested IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, who had levelled allegations against the Gujarat Chief Minister in connection with the 2002 post-Godhra riots, and his family following an appeal from his wife.
Soon after receiving a letter from Bhatt's wife Shweta expressing apprehensions that he could be “physically ill-treated” and that there was “danger to his life” from a “vindictive administration”, Union Home Secretary R.K. Singh convened a high-level meeting to take stock of her complaint.
“The Home Ministry has written to the Gujarat government to ensure adequate security to Bhatt and his family as per local threat perception,” a Home Ministry official said.
The central government has also decided to carry out an independent assessment on the threat perception to Bhatt and his family members.
“We are also independently carrying out threat assessment at our level,” the official said.
The action came after Shweta Bhatt wrote a letter to Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram asking him to provide security to her husband and the family and appealed to him to ensure that his human rights are not violated.
Bhatt was arrested last Friday on the basis of the FIR filed against him by police constable K.D. Pant for allegedly threatening him and forcing to sign a false affidavit with regard to a meeting called by Mr. Modi on February 27, 2002, hours after the Godhra train carnage.
In his bail application, Bhatt had submitted he was falsely implicated with an ulterior motive at the behest of some political functionaries and senior police officers.
He had claimed Pant appeared to be acting following “diktats” from political members of the state government.
Bhatt had alleged his arrest was aimed at getting hold of the alleged evidence he had against Mr. Modi with regard to the 2002 communal riots, and destroying them.
“My husband has been victimised and arrested merely because a few politicians apprehended serious action against them because of the evidence Sanjiv is likely to give in the pending criminal cases,” Shweta Bhatt said in her letter to Chidambaram. PTI
