Godhra riots: Modi govt targets another cop for leaking 'secrets',Centre 'concerned'

Godhra riots: Modi govt targets another cop for leaking 'secrets'/Gujarat targets top cops, Centre 'concerned'


The Gujarat government has hauled up another senior police officer of the state cadre for indiscipline in connection with the investigations of the 2002 Godhra riots.

According to reports, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP) Rahul Sharma has been served with a chargesheet that accuses him of indiscipline during the probe into the riots.

Sources said that Sharma is to be chargesheeted under the Official Secrets Act for allegedly passing on crucial information about the post Godhra riots to Nanavati Commission and the Supre Court appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT).

Sharma had earlier told the SIT that phone records in the Naroda Patia case were destroyed.

Sharma is the second Indian Police Service (IPS) officer to be targetted for indiscipline in Gujarat, the first being Sanjiv Bhatt, a 1988 batch IPS officer, who was suspended on Monday by the state Home department in exercise of powers conferred by Rule 3(1) of All India Services (Discipline and Appeals) Rules, 1969.

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Bhatt's lawyer had claimed that his client's suspension by the state government was due to a petition filed by him in the Supreme Court and he is weighing legal options to challenge the action.

In his 19-page supplementary affidavit filed before the Supreme Court last week, Bhatt had alleged someone in the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing post-Godhra riot cases was leaking sensitive details related to investigations conducted by it to Additional Advocate General Tushar Mehta.

Bhatt had earlier accused Chief Minister Narendra Modi of misusing the state machinery during post-Godhra riots and of asking police to ignore calls for help from Muslims. Bhatt had alleged in the affidavit before the apex court that he had seen e-mails from SIT probing the riots cases in the personal mail account of Mehta.

Mehta, on his part, ha lodged a complaint with the state cyber cell last Friday accusing Bhatt of hacking his e-mails.

While the BJP maintains that the Gujarat government is allowing the law to take its own course, and accused the UPA government at the Centre of not considering Gujarat to be a part of India, the Congress has said that there appears to be a clear case of victimisation in that state.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said on Thursday that: "I don't want to comment on matters that are sub judice, which is being discussed in court. But this is not hidden from anybody, the government in Gujarat, the BJP government in Gujarat, is stifling all, all public opinion. It is a short term perspective. How long can you stifle public opinion?"