Suspended IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt gets bail

About 17 days since he was sent to jail, suspended IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt was granted bail by a local court in Ahmedabad on Monday. Bhatt had been arrested on September 30 for allegedly fabricating evidence to implicate Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in the post-Godhra riots.

Bhatt was granted bail by Session Judge VK Vyas on the condition that he would cooperate with the investigation and would remain present when called for. Bhatt was arrested on September 30 in connection with an FIR filed against him by a police constable KD Pant.

On his part, Bhatt had moved bail application on October 3, which was opposed by the state government.

As per the FIR, Pant alleged that Bhatt had threatened him and made him sign a false affidavit with regards to the IPS officer's presence in the February 27, 2002 meeting called by the Chief Minister after the Godhra train burning incident.

Meanwhile, during the week-long hearing on Bhatt's bail plea, his advocate IH Syed had contended that his client's arrest was politically motivated and was aimed at getting hold of and destroying the alleged evidence that he had against Modi with regard to the 2002 communal riots.

Syed had further contended that the complaint, on which Bhatt was arrested, was falsely made with an ulterior motive at the behest of some political functionaries and senior police officers.