I stand by my statement, says top cop about his affidavit against Modi

Friday April 22, 2011 04:10:06 PM, IANS

Ahmedabad: A senior police officer, who has filed an affidavit before the Supreme Court implicating Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in the 2002 riots in the wake of the Godhra train burning, says he will not backtrack from his statement despite any pressure.

Bhatt said in his affidavit that Modi had said that Hindus should be allowed to vent their "anger" after the death of 59 kar sevaks when two bogies of the Sabramati Express were set afire Feb 27, 2002. He also expressed his doubts about the neutrality of the Special Investigative Team (SIT) probing the violence that followed and which claimed over 1,000 lives.

Answering a question by CNN-IBN Friday on pressure on him to withdraw his testimony, Bhatt said: "I have never backed out from saying the truth anywhere, anytime in my life."

He said that any kind of pressure would only make him more determined. "Instead of worrying me, this kind of subversion makes me more resolute because all I am doing is stating the truth. I am stating what I know," said Bhatt, a 1988 batch Indian Police Service officer.

He added that he had not publicly disclosed the information earlier as he was governed by conduct rules.

"I was privy to a whole lot of information as an intelligence officer. So I can only disclose if I was under a legal consideration and not before that," he said, pointing out that he had covered all these points in his testimony to SIT.

In 2002, Bhatt was based in Gandhinagar as deputy commissioner of intelligence in the State Intelligence Bureau. He is now posted as principal of the State Reserve Police Centre in Junagarh.

Bhatt said there was no question of his leaving the police force. "Not at all. I have 13 more years to go."

Bhatt added that concerns of safety of his family had been raised in his affidavit. He said that he had asked the state police to upgrade his security, but this was ignored - rather, his current security detail was also withdrawn.

Bhatt, in his affidavit, said: "The chief minister expressed the view that the emotions were running very high among the Hindus and it was imperative that they be allowed to vent out their anger."

"This time the situation warranted that the Muslims be taught a lesson to ensure that such incidents do not recur ever again," Bhatt quoted the chief minister as saying when a section of officers told him that bringing the bodies of the train burning victims to Ahmedabad from Godhra would only inflame passions.


 

                                           Home | Top of the Page

Top Stories

PM firm on Lokpal bill as Bhushans fight more taint

As clouds of controversy darkened over Lokpal bill drafting committee co-chair Shanti Bhushan with fresh demands for his ouster and his civil society   »

Hegde mulls quitting Lokpal Bill drafting panel

Petition filed against Anna Hazare in court

  Most Read

Ishrat Jahan case: Contempt notice to Gujarat official

The Gujarat High Court Thursday issued notice for contempt proceedings against a senior state home ministry official for delaying transfers of the top police officers in relation to the Ishrat  »

Malegaon blast: Chargesheet against Pravin Mutalik

Nearly three months after arresting right-wing group member Pravin Mutalik, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) Thursday filed a chargesheet in a Mumbai  »

Dharna at 62 places of Malegaon; demand for local youths' release intensifies

  News Pick

Madhya Pradesh: Shadows of Hindu Rashtra

Madhya Pradesh is being ruled by the BJP Government from last several years. This is one state where BJP and »

MP Christians up in arms, demand CBI probe into 'profiling' order

RTE Act violations: Dirty school toilets major complaint

Dirty, non-functional toilets form a major chunk of the complaints filed by parents in Delhi under violation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act. According to a   »

RTE Act one year on: 8 million children still missing school

31 'crorepati' candidates in third phase of Bengal polls

The third phase of West Bengal assembly elections April 27, spread over the North and South 24 Parganas and Kolkata districts, will witness 31 'crorepatis'   »

Third phase of Bengal polls has its share of criminal candidates

Tech savvy politicos bat for social media

Former minister of state for external affairs Shashi Tharoor, one of the early Indian politicians to get hooked to Twitter, feels that political leaders have realised that social media was the right platform to reach out to a large number of people.  »

Can't reveal names in black money cases, court told

The government Thursday told the Supreme Court that under the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) with other countries, it could not disclose the names of the people under investigation for   »

Picture of the Day

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and his wife Mrs Gursharan Kaur in a procession for laying wreath ceremony at Monument of the Defenders of Motherland, at Astana, in Kazakhstan on April 16, 2011.

(Photo: Shivraj)