Ahmedabad: The special investigation
team (SIT) probing some of the post-Godhra riot cases recorded
statement of IPS officer Sanjeev Bhatt today for the second
consecutive day in connection with the Gulburg Society riot
case.
Bhatt was questioned for over six hours today by the
SIT investigating officer in the case Himanshu Shukla at the
agency`s office in Gandhinagar.
The 1988 batch IPS officer, who is currently posted as
the principal of State Reserve Police (SRP) training centre in
Junagadh district, was also interrogated for over five hours
yesterday.
Bhatt`s statement was recorded with regard to the FIR
in Gulburg society case, where 69 persons, including former
Congress MP Ehsan Jaffery were killed during the post-Godhra
riots.
Sources in the SIT said that Bhatt`s questioning was
likely to continue even tomorrow as few details and queries
were yet to be cleared.
Recording of Bhatt`s statement comes immediately after
the Supreme Court asked SIT to consider whether further probe
was required against Gujarat Chief Ministers Narendra Modi and
62 others in connection with the complaint filed by Jaffery`s
wife Zakia.
SIT officials had yesterday said that since Zakia`s
complaint and Gulburg society case were related, Bhatt`s
statement could be viewed in relation to both.
Zakia had approached the apex court after the Gujarat
High Court refused on November 3, 2007 to give any direction
and asked her to seek redressal from the magistrate`s court.
The wife of the slain Congress leader had alleged that
between February and May 2002 there was a "deliberate and
intentional failure" of the state government to protect the
life and property of innocents.
In her complaint she had further alleged that Modi and
62 others, including his cabinet colleagues, police officials
and senior bureaucrats aided and abetted the riots which left
over 1,000 people dead across the state.
PTI
