From Ummid
Ahmedabad/New Delhi: In a setback
for the Gujarat government, a special court granted bail to
suspended police officer Sanjiv Bhatt who has accused Chief
Minister Narendra Modi of complicity in the 2002 communal riots.
Coming out of jail, the officer said rule of law has prevailed.
Bhatt termed Modi a "criminal" and who can get him killed.
"For me, Modi is a common criminal and who happens to be the chief minister and that doesn't make any difference. As a police officer I see him as a criminal," he told news channel Times Now.
"This government can try to eliminate me as they have done to (former minister) Haren Pandya. They can resort to anything and I am prepared for anything.
"I am a threat to Narendra Modi, his stooges and and his cohorts and they will try to neutralise the threat. If they have to eliminate me, they won't mind doing that," he said.
Earlier, Bhatt walked out of the Sabarmati jail in Ahmedabad amid showering of rose petals and cheering of supporters. He hugged his wife Shweta Bhatt, who was waiting for him outside.
"I am happy that the rule of law has prevailed and this would be a victory for hope," a composed Bhatt told reporters outside the jail.
Sessions Judge V.K. Vyas granted him bail on the condition that Bhatt would cooperate with the investigation and would be present whenever called.
The Indian Police Service (IPS) officer was arrested Sep 30 for allegedly forcing a police constable, K.D. Panth, to sign a false affidavit about his attending a meeting called by Modi soon after the Godhra train burning that sparked the riots.
In an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court in April, Bhatt alleged that after the Godhra train carnage, Modi had asked the police at a meeting to allow the majority community to vent their anger against Muslims.
Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid said the court order showed the independence of the legal system.
"No matter how much people speculate and put question marks, ultimately... we have shown our system is independent and it does not get swayed either by public opinion or by any kind of pressure," Khurshid told reporters in New Delhi.
Bhatt termed Modi a "criminal" and who can get him killed.
"For me, Modi is a common criminal and who happens to be the chief minister and that doesn't make any difference. As a police officer I see him as a criminal," he told news channel Times Now.
"This government can try to eliminate me as they have done to (former minister) Haren Pandya. They can resort to anything and I am prepared for anything.
"I am a threat to Narendra Modi, his stooges and and his cohorts and they will try to neutralise the threat. If they have to eliminate me, they won't mind doing that," he said.
Earlier, Bhatt walked out of the Sabarmati jail in Ahmedabad amid showering of rose petals and cheering of supporters. He hugged his wife Shweta Bhatt, who was waiting for him outside.
"I am happy that the rule of law has prevailed and this would be a victory for hope," a composed Bhatt told reporters outside the jail.
Sessions Judge V.K. Vyas granted him bail on the condition that Bhatt would cooperate with the investigation and would be present whenever called.
The Indian Police Service (IPS) officer was arrested Sep 30 for allegedly forcing a police constable, K.D. Panth, to sign a false affidavit about his attending a meeting called by Modi soon after the Godhra train burning that sparked the riots.
In an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court in April, Bhatt alleged that after the Godhra train carnage, Modi had asked the police at a meeting to allow the majority community to vent their anger against Muslims.
Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid said the court order showed the independence of the legal system.
"No matter how much people speculate and put question marks, ultimately... we have shown our system is independent and it does not get swayed either by public opinion or by any kind of pressure," Khurshid told reporters in New Delhi.
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