In letter to SIT chief, Bhatt slammed ‘cover-up’ drive
Express News Service
Express News Service
Posted: Sat Apr 23 2011, 04:22 hrsAhmedabad:
Bhatt had written to SIT chief R K Raghavan
In his affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court on April 14, IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt had annexed a letter he wrote on April 6 to R K Raghavan, chief of the SC-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the 2002 riots, in which he had accused panel of trying to shield the powers-that-be.
Bhatt said in the letter that SIT members had made it “abundantly clear” to him that its probe is not going to cover “the existence of any larger conspiracy or official orchestration behind the Godhra riots of 2002”.
The letter says: “The reluctance of the SIT to record certain inconvenient details in my testimony, coupled with their display of unconcealed hostility during our interaction on March 25 2011, has raised very serious apprehensions about the role and intention of certain members in the ongoing investigation.”
Bhatt had deposed to the SIT on March 25, 2011.
In his letter, Bhatt also said he had named witnesses who could corroborate that he was present at fateful meeting that Chief Minister Narendra Modi held at his residence late night on February 27, 2002, at which, as Bhatt has stated in his affidavit to the SC, Modi directly ordered top police officers to let the majority community members unleash violence.
But, according to the letter, “the SIT effectively indulged in blatant intimidation” of witnesses who could corroborate that he was indeed present at that meeting.
“I have been informed by one particular witness, Shri K D Panth, that when he appeared before the SIT on 05/04/2011, he was treated like an accused by the members and threatened with arrest and other dire consequences, including inquiry and action against him by the Anti-Corruption Bureau of Gujarat,” Bhatt’s letter said. “Given the conditions that have existed in Gujarat for almost the last decade, it would be very unrealistic to expect any government servant to depose freely and fearlessly before any forum, including the SIT, unless he or she is provided adequate protection and complete immunity from persecution at the hands of a highly vindictive administrative setup,” it added.
“It is very unfortunate that members of the SIT have
indulged in intimidation and coercion of already reluctant witnesses, have wittingly or unwittingly, given the impression of having become a party in the ongoing cover-up operation in Gujarat...’’, the letter said. It requested the SIT chief to protect witnesses named in his testimony and shield them from coercion.
The SIT chief could not be contacted despite repeated efforts.
Bhatt had written to SIT chief R K Raghavan
In his affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court on April 14, IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt had annexed a letter he wrote on April 6 to R K Raghavan, chief of the SC-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the 2002 riots, in which he had accused panel of trying to shield the powers-that-be.
Bhatt said in the letter that SIT members had made it “abundantly clear” to him that its probe is not going to cover “the existence of any larger conspiracy or official orchestration behind the Godhra riots of 2002”.
The letter says: “The reluctance of the SIT to record certain inconvenient details in my testimony, coupled with their display of unconcealed hostility during our interaction on March 25 2011, has raised very serious apprehensions about the role and intention of certain members in the ongoing investigation.”
Bhatt had deposed to the SIT on March 25, 2011.
In his letter, Bhatt also said he had named witnesses who could corroborate that he was present at fateful meeting that Chief Minister Narendra Modi held at his residence late night on February 27, 2002, at which, as Bhatt has stated in his affidavit to the SC, Modi directly ordered top police officers to let the majority community members unleash violence.
But, according to the letter, “the SIT effectively indulged in blatant intimidation” of witnesses who could corroborate that he was indeed present at that meeting.
“I have been informed by one particular witness, Shri K D Panth, that when he appeared before the SIT on 05/04/2011, he was treated like an accused by the members and threatened with arrest and other dire consequences, including inquiry and action against him by the Anti-Corruption Bureau of Gujarat,” Bhatt’s letter said. “Given the conditions that have existed in Gujarat for almost the last decade, it would be very unrealistic to expect any government servant to depose freely and fearlessly before any forum, including the SIT, unless he or she is provided adequate protection and complete immunity from persecution at the hands of a highly vindictive administrative setup,” it added.
“It is very unfortunate that members of the SIT have
indulged in intimidation and coercion of already reluctant witnesses, have wittingly or unwittingly, given the impression of having become a party in the ongoing cover-up operation in Gujarat...’’, the letter said. It requested the SIT chief to protect witnesses named in his testimony and shield them from coercion.
The SIT chief could not be contacted despite repeated efforts.
(source:.indianexpress.com)
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