Suspended IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt has alleged that city police are not providing him adequate security, and there is an increased threat to his and his family members' lives from the "right-wing fundamentalists and the supporters of (Narendra) Modi".
Earlier, Bhatt had alleged that his security had been downsized. The office of Commissioner of Police Shivanand Jha said yesterday that after the assessment of threat perception, it was decided that Bhatt should be provided with two armed personal security officers. However, Bhatt today wrote to the commissioner, saying that "since last evening...I am being provided with only one armed PSO".
"You are requested to kindly verify the actual deployment of PSOs and reconcile the factual security cover provided to me with the misleading fiction of your press note." Bhatt, in an affidavit filed in the Supreme court, had levelled allegations against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi with regard to the 2002 communal riots.
Yesterday he wrote to the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) stating that he and his family members hadn't been provided adequate and foolproof security, despite the assurance given by the state government to the Supreme Court. "Despite the threat reports and recommendations by different agencies, I had been provided only 1 PSO for my protection and 1 armed sentry at my residence," Bhatt said in the letter to the Additional Chief Secretary.
"In view of the continuously increasing frequency of road journeys necessitated for appearing before different courts at Khambhalia, Porbandar and Ahmedabad, I had repeatedly requested to provide me with a bullet-proof car and an escort vehicle at the very earliest," Bhatt said.
Bhatt, who had testified against Modi before the Nanavati Commission which is inquiring in 2002 riots, further said that threat to him and his family had increased manifold. "I cannot overemphasise the fact that the threat to me and my family has increased manifold after my having filed Writ Petition in 2011 before the Supreme Court.
"The evidence brought out in the said petitions has evoked very strong feelings of antipathy and hatred towards me in the minds of the right-wing fundamentalists and the supporters of Modi."
He also said in the letter that in emergency, "a single PSO would not be able to effectively deter or neutralise a planned attempt to breach my security cover".
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