Author:
Publication: News.oneindia.in
Date: September 30, 2011
URL: http://news.oneindia.in/feature/2011/sanjeev-bhatt-arrest-was-inevitable.html
'Whistle blower', 'top cop', 'man who dared
to take on the might of Narendra Modi' are some of the praises that have been
constantly heaped on Sanjeev Bhatt. On Sep 30, Friday (Today), as the law
catches up with him, it needs to be asked if he is worthy of even one of the
above attributes.
A deeper look at Mr. Bhatt's records will
suggest that his arrest was not only the need of the hour but also long over
due. Sources revealed to Oneindia News. Infact, one needs to laud the authorities
in Gujarat for taking this bold decision when it is certain that the arrest
will unleash a fresh wave of vilification campaign against the establishment
in Gujarat. In most other states, it is certainty that officials who face
charges similar to Bhatt's would either get away due to patronage or be left
alone simply because of their high nuisance value. But, the wheels of justice
in Gujarat are neither slow nor weak to let this happen.
The service record of Mr. Sanjeev Bhatt has
been controversial since the very beginning to say the least. On 18th November
1990 barely two years into service, Bhatt found himself named in a private
complaint when as the Assistant Superintendent of Police in Jamnagar he indulged
in rampant misuse of power including the use of the draconian TADA. In the
process, it resulted in the death of one person. Thus, as Mr. Bhatt gives
bold speeches on democracy and the right to dissent, he conveniently forgets
his own actions that suppressed both.
In addition to the above, Mr. Bhatt faced
the ire of lawyers in Rajasthan over allegations of falsely implicating their
colleague in a narcotics case during his tenure as the SP of Banaskantha,
Gujarat. He is accused of falsely planting more than a kilogram worth of narcotics
and indulging in abductions just in order to establish an alibi and serve
vested interests. Subsequently, a criminal case was filed against him that
is still pending. How can a person with pending criminal cases get promoted?
This is the crux of his anti-Government attitude despite knowing the laws
that Governments cannot promote tainted civil servants.
Sanjeev Bhatt and recruitment scam in 1996
The list does not end here- Mr. Bhatt was
at the centre of a massive recruitment scam that hit Gujarat in 1996 when
he headed the recruitment process as SP of Banaskantha. The charges against
him are very serious- he did not follow regular procedures including maintaining
records of those candidates who were successful in the police constable examinations.
Ignoring the orders of the DGP, he did not follow the correct process of recruiting
armed and unarmed constables separately preferring to go for a combined recruitment.
The resulting lapses were against the principles of natural justice be it
in terms of giving unfit candidates a chance to reach the second stage or
concealing crucial information about the candidates. All these instances imply
a clear misuse of power and carelessness, apathy towards his duty.
Mr. Bhatt's claims of being present at a meeting
called by the Chief Minister on 27th February 2002 need to be discounted as
lies- this is not only people saying it but also the seven officers who were
actually present at the high level meeting then. Having remained of SP rank
till as late as 2007, one wonders how he was present at such a top level meeting
considering he held no high post then. Even in recent times, lies and controversy
have followed Sanjeev Bhatt. He has been regular touch with members of the
opposition in Gujarat, even procuring expensive gadgets from them. Mr. Bhatt
also turned towards civil society and requested Shabnam Hashmi and Father
Cedric Prakash, who are no friends of the Chief Minister to launch a signature
campaign to help him in his fight against the Gujarat Chief Minister.
As late as August 31st last year, Mr. Bhatt
was posted as the Principal SRP Training College at Junagadh but he not only
refused to report to work but also misused his official vehicle. If absenteeism
without notice is not a crime then he is innocent but there are certain rules
public servants must abide by. It is unfortunate when officers chosen to serve
the people refuse to report on duty while continuing to use the perks they
are entitled to while on duty. This is a clear betrayal of public trust they
are supposed to enjoy.
Bhatt not a 'Whistle blower'
The recent arrest too requires some careful
study. The charges against Mr. Bhatt remain very serious, that of intimidating
a junior constable, who was threatened by Mr. Bhatt into signing false affidavits
against the Gujarat Chief Minister regarding the 2002 riots. Mr. Pant was
working under Mr. Bhatt then. Mr. Pant has also spoken out about the close
links Mr. Bhatt had with select leaders of the opposition in Gujarat. Mr.
Pant was assured that the Gujarat Chief Minister would be in jail in two months.
But months into after the meeting, it is Mr. Bhatt who faces charges that
can see him suffer up to a maximum imprisonment of 10 years!
It is, therefore amply clear that Mr. Bhatt
is far away from being the 'whistle blower' he is made out to be. This 'whistleblowing'
is in reality a series of subversive actions against the legitimate functioning
of a democratic Government just to subvert one's own infamous record which
includes quelling protest, presiding over a scam, the killing of persons and
the fact that he operates not with the Government of the day but the leaders
of the opposition. Herein lies the irony of a civil servant consistently hailed
as a 'whistle blower'.
