Ahmedabad, Aug 12: The Gujarat government today hit out at Union Home Minister P Chidambaram for his statement on the issue of IPS officers, saying “this attitude is dangerous to federal governance of the country”.
The state government has also alleged that Congress could go to any extent to topple a democratically elected government.
Chidambaram had expressed concern over Gujarat government's action against senior IPS officers, who are locked in a confrontation with it over the post-Godhra riots and said if the affected officers want, Centre could intervene in the matter.
While IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, who had filed a PIL before the Supreme Court against the Narendra Modi government over Godhra issue, was suspended a few days back, a DIG rank officer Rahul Sharma was issued a show-cause notice for giving CDs of call records during the violence to various agencies including SIT.
“On the issue of Rahul Sharma, I would like to say that we have not served any chargesheet to him,” State government spokesperson and Health Minister Jaynarayan Vyas said.
Vyas alleged that a false propaganda is being spread that the state government is taking punitive actions against Sharma for his depositions in the courts and commissions, which is far from the truth.
“Sharma has committed gross misconduct by taking away vital CDs from the case papers. It is not the case that the state government issued a show cause notice to Sharma as he deposed before Courts and Commissions. In fact it is the opposite. Because of his not giving the CDs to investigating officer or Supervisory officer, he has caused serious infirmity to the riot cases investigation,” Vyas alleged.
“Sharma was serving as Deputy Commissioner of Police (Control), Ahmedabad between March 24, 2002 and July 3, 2002. He was not the Investigating Officer (IO) or the direct supervisory officer in the riot cases, for which, the compact disks were procured from cell phone service providers,” he added.
From the call records data, obtained from the private service providers, Sharma had prepared a CD detailing the calls made by important people in state administration including the ministers, police officials and also of VHP and Bajrang dal activists during the 2002 communal violence.
“Sharma, on receiving the said CDs, did not include the same as Case property (Muddamal),” he said.
“He neither handed over the same as case property to the Supervisory Officer S S Chudasama, Assistant Commissioner of Police, (Crime) Ahmedabad city nor to the investigating officers G L Khunti,” Vyas further said.
“He did not inform the court of jurisdiction about the procurement of CDs and unlawfully retained with him,” the government spokesperson said.
“Sharma, on transfer and at the time of relinquishing his charge as DCP (Control Room) Ahmedabad city, did not hand over the aforesaid case property to his successor or investigating officer of this case and illegally carried the CDs with him,” Vyas said.
“Hence, he caused damage to the investigation as the CDs collected from service providers of the cell phone companies could not become the part of the investigation. Thus, Sharma grossly violated the provisions of law, deliberately caused harm to the investigation of the said case by not depositing the CDs as case property,” he said.
“However, the vested interests are trying to mislead people and the nation by false allegations. These forces are trying to shield indisciplined and delinquent officers in the name of Godhra riots. These elements are attempting to interfere in the administrative function of the state,” Vyas further said.
“It seems it is a fashion to support any amount of misconduct, dereliction of duty and recalcitrant behaviour of anybody who claims that he knows something about 2002 riots or who speaks out against the state government,” Vyas said.
He alleged that the Congress Party has come out in open supporting such indisciplined conduct of an All India Service Officer, which should be a matter of concern for entire nation.
“This attitude of the Congress party is dangerous to the federal governance of the country. The appeal made by the Congress Party to shield such officers by the Union Government and the Supreme Court is a direct invitation to raise rebel against the state government and encourage political activities by a service officer,” Vyas alleged.
“This shows that the Congress party can go to any extent to topple a democratically elected government. This should be condemned by all who believe in Rule of Law,” he added. PTI
