IPS Officers Association divided over supporting Sanjiv Bhatt

Whistleblower Sanjiv Bhatt, who is currently in judicial custody, must be upbeat at the support extended to him by fellow IPS officers of the state. However, the officers’ meeting at the IPS mess on Saturday where a resolution supporting Bhatt was passed, could not hide the fact that IPS officers’ association is a divided house at least on the issue of support to the jailed officer.

Sources in the police said that at the meeting of the IPS officers’ association on Saturday, police officers were seen talking to each other about the ‘agenda’ of the meeting.

“Some IPS officers were suspicious that there was a hidden agenda for the meeting, and that it was discussion on Bhatt’s arrest,” a source said on the condition of anonymity. The issues that were scheduled for discussion at the meeting were revival of the IPS officers’ association, appointment of an association president and the demand for a permanent DGP in the state.

But the meeting eventually also discussed the need to support Bhatt, though there were many senior IPS officers who were either not present or were present only during the discussion on other issues.

The sources said that there were aggressive arguments in support of Bhatt from officers like Satish Verma and polite statements favouring the incarcerated officer from some senior IPS officers such as AK Singh.