HC seeks govt reply as to when Sanjiv Bhatt’s security cover was withdrawn

The Gujarat High Court on Wednesday directed the Gujarat government to bring on record of the court as to when the security cover for former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt and his family was withdrawn.

Admitting the petition of the dismissed IPS officer’s wife, Shweta Bhatt, seeking “armed police protection” for herself and her family, the High Court, asked the state government, including Director General of Police of Gujarat and Commissioner of Police (Ahmedabad City) to respond with the details by May 10.

As per the petition, the armed security cover to Sanjiv Bhatt and his family were “suddenly withdrawn” last July, and following it the former police officer was arrested on September 5 in connection with a 23-year old case of alleged planting of drugs.

Bhatt had earlier moved an application in the Supreme Court seeking security cover, but as per the petition, the apex court disposed it of on February 8 “without expressing any opinion on merits”. However, the court had given the petitioner the liberty to approach the Gujarat High Court under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, the petition said. “The threat perception against Sanjiv Bhatt and particularly against his family members has intensified and there have occurred instances after the his arrest, which have prompted his wife (Shweta Bhatt) to approach the High Court for armed security at the cost of the State,” the petition said, listing up to eight instances that have “raised concerns about the security of the petitioner”. These include the presence of “unknown persons frequently seen around the home of the Bhatt”, and a car accident involving Shweta and her son on January 11.

Shweta Bhatt, who had contested the 2012 Assembly polls against the then chief minister, and now the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, also stated in her petition that her contesting the elections, “enraged many, and since then the petitioner (Shweta) is facing issues of her security”.

Shweta Bhatt has also submitted that if she and her family is not granted appropriate and adequate action, “there is a serious threat continuously looming upon the her and no one should be allowed to be subjected to such fear and insecurity, especially, when the husband of the petitioner has been a key witness, in the investigation and the trial of the accused persons in the 2002 Gujarat riots cases.”

Sanjiv Bhatt, a 1988-batch IPS officer, was sacked in 2015. He had several run-ins with BJP government of Gujarat.