Trail of e-mails expose Bhatt’s complicity with Congress, Teesta and anti-Modi groups

Ahmedabad: In a development that could put IPS officer Sanjeev Bhatt in the docks, the trail of email exchange of the officer, accessed by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), show that the officer has been in touch with the anti-Modi lobby including the Congress, rights activist Teesta Setalvad and others.

The contents of the email exchanged even put a question mark on his claims of being at the meeting chaired by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on the night of February 27, 2002.

The Gujarat cadre officer has claimed in his affidavit to the Supreme Court that he was present at the meeting in which Modi had asked the police officers to maintain restrain in stopping the rioters from eking out their anger.

According to sources, the content of the emails not only expose Bhatt appealing for help from the anti-Modi camps including politicians and civil society members, it clearly establishes Bhatt as a mere pawn in a bigger game plan.

In order to prove his claims against the Chief Minister, Bhatt had asked his IPS friend Rahul Sharma to help in managing evidences to substantiate his claims, but he failed in his endeavour.

In order to prove his claims about the February 27 metting, Bhatt in his affidavit submitted before the Apex Court and in his testimony before the Nanavati Commission has claimed that he met former Gujarat Minister Haren Pandya (who died later) at the meeting held at the Chief Minister’s residence.

However, the call records of Haren Pandya on the eventful night contradict Bhatt’s claims. The trail of emails exchanged between Bhatt and Sharma between May 12-22, 2011 show that

Bhatt tried his best to manage some evidence to support his claim on Pandya.

Rahul Sharma in his reply to Bhatt on May 22 at 7.42 am stated that Pandya received the last call on his number at 10.52 pm, which clarifies that he was not heading towards Gandhinagar. It’s clear that he was in his constituency Ellis Bridge and there was no chance of the minister being in Gandhinagar on the intervening night between February 27 and 28.

The content of the email show Rahul asking Bhatt whether Pandya ever mentioned of being present at the meeting, to which Bhatt replied that he heard that spoke about it with some other people.

The entire trail of emails between the two officers shows Bhatt trying to get a hand at some evidence to substantiate his claim on Pandya but he failed.

The mails clearly show that after his testimony before the Nanavati Commission he was not only in regular touch with Teesta Setalvad, the rights activist who has filed a case against Modi in post-Godhra riots, but was also getting instructions from the Congress leaders.

Bhatt was in regular touch with Teesta, Congress state president Arjun Modwadhia and Leader of Opposition Shakti Singh Gohit on some pretext or the other in the month of April.
Records show that Bhatt procured documents and a Blackberry phone from Gohit.

According to sources, Bhatt also tried to seek help from the civil society to influence the SIT and the amicus curie appointed by the Supreme Court in relation to his demands of Y category security for himself.

He wrote to Shabnam Hashmi of NGO ‘Anhad’ and Father Sedrick Prakash of ‘Prashant’.

On 9th May, Bhatt also requested them to run a signature campaign and help him in taking his fight against Modi to logical end.

JPN/Bureau

Responses