Earlier, Bhatt had revealed to SIT important documents relating to the crime graph, curfew scene and action by the police since the Godhra carnage.
In yet another letter written to the chairman of the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT), suspended IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt has requested that his statement be recorded under section 164 of the CrPC so that he never changes his statement in future.
Earlier, Bhatt had revealed to SIT important documents relating to the crime graph, curfew scene and action by the police since the Godhra carnage. Bhatt had submitted these documents during the course of his deposition.
The documents clearly mentioned that the Ahmedabad City Police arrested only seven people as preventive arrests on February 27, 2002, though there was all likelihood of violence in view of the VHP-BJP sponsored Gujarat bandh call the next day. Talking to DNA, Bhatt said that in a city like Ahmedabad when on a routine day around 40 to 60 people are arrested as preventive measures, only seven people (three Hindus and four Muslims) were arrested by the city police on February 27, 2002.
"This indicates the implementation of chief minister Narendra Modi's instructions of going slow on the rioters on the bandh day," he said.
He had also earlier submitted the documents mentioning the delay of imposition of curfew at different places, including Ahmedabad city.
Documents related to police action during the first 48 hours were also submitted by Bhatt. He had also earlier submitted the proofs of how the requisition and effective deployment of army had been delayed. "These documents are being submitted for the sole purpose of ensuring that crucial evidence is not disregarded or concealed by the SIT with a view to screening powerful and influential offenders from legal punishment," he said.
Figures revealed police inaction
The police figures from February 27, 2002 to March 16, 2002 released by the police commissionerate to the State Intelligence and later submitted to the SIT by Sanjiv Bhatt revealed that the deaths and loss of property of Muslims was much higher than that of the Hindus, which indicates that the police were going slow on the rioters. According to these figures, property loss of Rs56.75 crore was estimated to Muslims during these days, while the loss was put at Rs20.02 crore to the Hindus. In all, 98 shops were ransacked, and 1,273 shops, 1,392 houses, 55 pan-gallas and 524 vehicles owned by Muslims were burnt. On the other hand, 63 shops that were ransacked, and 352 shops, 635 houses, 15 pan-gallas and 189 vehicles that were burnt belonged to Hindus.
While four temples were burnt, 38 Muslim shrines, including mosques, dargahs and madrasas were burnt. The total number of Muslims killed during this period were 220 (25 in police firing and 195 by others), while the number of Hindus killed was 58 (19 in police firing and 39 by others).
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