Bhatt took on the Gujarat government when Narendra Modi was chief minister by filing an affidavit in the Supreme Court, in which he alleged that Modi had instructed officers to allow Hindus “to vent out their anger” during the 2002 post-Godhra riots.
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“Bhatt had remained defiant and fragrantly flouted the rules with complete disregard to discipline which should have been the hallmark of an officer of a uniformed force”, the Home Ministry said in the August 13 order saying Bhatt be removed from the service but this shall not be a disqualification for his future employment under the government. This was expected. They have been conducting a completely ex-parte inquiry. “I got the letter (sack order) from them (the Home ministry)”, Bhatt told PTI on Wednesday evening. “MHA observed that the contention of Bhatt is not tenable as using his tenure at the National Police Academy, Hyderabad, he has mentioned in his dossiers in his own handwriting that his mother tongue is Gujarati”.
However, his claim was rejected by the apex-court appointed Special Investigation Team, which probe nine major incidents related to the post-Godhra riots.
The development was also confirmed by Gujarat chief secretary GR Aloria when he said that “services of Sanjiv Bhatt have been terminated”.
“Staying absent from duty unauthorizedly, defying orders of superior officer (DG & IGP), taking custody of log book from lawfully authorized government servants, retaining official vehicle belonging to other officers unauthorizedly, retaining custody of government assets unauthorizedly, misbehaving with government servants”, are among the charges levelled against Bhatt, the report stated.
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Mr Bhatt, 51, had been placed under suspension by the Gujarat Government in August 2011 for unauthorised absence from his posting as Principal of the Police Training School at Junagadh. In fact, I have enjoyed every moment of the last 27 years in the IPS. In a Facebook post and in tweets, Mr Bhatt has said he was removed on the basis of a “sham inquiry and fabricated charges”. I would like to salute you and thank you, as your son and as an educated, aware and responsible citizen of this wonderful country, for doing what was right without even thinking once what effects it might have on you and your career as an Indian Police Service Officer. May He continue to lead me in my just pursuits.
