Ex-IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt's wife approches Gujarat HC seeking security

Former IPS officer from Gujarat Sanjiv Bhatt's wife Shweta has filed an application before the Gujarat High Court seeking police security.

Bhatt was arrested by Gujarat Police on September 5, 2018 in connection with a 22-year-old case. It involved alleged planting of drugs for arresting a lawyer. Bhatt was the Superintendent of Police of Banaskantha district in 1996 when the incident happened.

While lawyer Sumersinh Rajput was arrested on charges of possessing around one kilogram of drugs, follow-up investigations by Rajasthan Police concluded that the lawyer was falsely implicated to transfer a disputed property in Pali, Rajathan.

Ever since his arrest, Bhatt has been behind the bars and now his family has approached the Supreme Court for bail.

Shweta told THE WEEK that anything could happen. “They (the municipal corporation) demolished portion of our house, Sanjiv was arrested and then there was an accident involving me,” she said.

Shweta told THE WEEK that her phones were being tapped. They (authorities/government) get to know about my every single move and whom I talk to, she maintained.

She also held that recently she was also followed when she went to meet one of the defence witness in her husband's case.

The civic body had razed the structure claiming it to be illegal.

Shweta said that threat could be from many quarters. Sanjiv was one of the prime witness in cases related to 2002 Gujarat riots and in the past he has taken actions against SIMI operatives.

According to her, there is no “pucca” structure in the portions of the house that was demolished. “How much more can I handle alone,” she said, adding that in the past she has written to the chief minister and the prime minister for security.

Several years ago, long before Bhatt was arrested, there was a recommendation to provide “Y” category security to him.

When the security was withdrawn in July 2018, the DGP's office had categorically stated that the security cover was withdrawn after a review citing the withdrawal of security cover for several other people.

In 2012, Shweta had unsuccessfully contested assembly elections from Maninagar seat of Ahmedabad against the then chief minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi.

Bhatt was sacked from service in 2015. He had then said that it was a sham and an ex parte inquiry on what he termed as “fabricated charges”. In 2011, he was suspended from the service for allegedly remaining on leave and misusing official vehicle. Bhatt had then defended that he could not attend office as he was taking care of his ailing mother and was also deposing before a judicial inquiry commission looking into the Godhra carnage and post-Godhra riots.