By TCN Special Correspondent,
Ahmedabad: The Gujarat government has dismissed a head constable-Naresh Brahmbhatt-who had appreciated Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Sanjiv Bhatt having courted controversy about his comments on the alleged “role and conduct’ of Chief Minister Narendra Modi in 2002 communal riots.
The state government has also initiated an inquiry against a police inspector S G Barochiya who, in his report, had stated that Bhatt was under threat from saffron forces after he filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court. Bhatt had alleged that Modi had instructed the top police and administrative officials to allow Hindus to vent out their anger against Muslims after torching of Sabarmati Express on February 27, 2002.
Sanjiv Bhatt
Brahmbhatt, who heads a faction of the police constable union in the state, had issued statements in favour of Bhatt in local Gujarati language dailies published from Bhuj in Kutch district.
Brahmbhaat had stated that what Bhatt had done was appreciable and urged other police officials to come forward like Bhatt to share whatever information they had about 2002 riots.
Director General of Police (DGP) Chitaranjan Singh confirmed to media persons that the head constable was dismissed.
He said that the constable had issued press statements to Gujarati language newspapers in Bhuj and it amounted to violation of police service rules.
Meanwhile, a probe has also been initiated against police inspector Barochiya after leakage of a secret report regarding threat perception to Bhatt he had submitted to the senior police authorities of Ahmedabad police commissionerate.
After Bhatt wrote several letters to the State Home Department and DGP requesting the latter to provide him and his family security owing to threat from rightist Hindu groups after his submissions against Modi in the Supreme Court, PI Barochiya was asked to investigate if there was really any threat to Bhatt.
In his report, Barochiya reportedly stated that there was security threat to Bhatt and his family. However, a copy of Barochiya’s report was leaked out and it reached to Bhatt as well.
State’s top police officials were surprised how the copy of the report reached Bhatt when it was a secret document and ordered a probe into the lea involving Barochiya.
Meanwhile, police have withdrawn the extra security that was given to Bhatt. Bhatt again has only one armed commando with him but his family was without security.