"It is now apparent from the report submitted by SIT that certain very crucial portions of my statement, including the timings of extremely consequential meetings with the chief minister Mr Narendra Modi on 27/02/2002 and 28/02/2002, have either been incorrectly recorded or deliberately tweaked by the SIT," Bhatt said in his additional affidavit filed before the National Commission of Minorities (NCW).
"This has been done possibly with the ulterior motive and intent of shielding certain powerful persons including the chief minister Modi, from legal punishment," he said.
These "deliberate acts" on part of SIT would amount to offences under sections 218 and 219 of the Indian Penal Code, Bhatt said, adding that he arrived at this conclusion after going through the final report of the agency given to Zakia Jaffery after the court order. The report is in public domain now.
Section 218 deals with the public servant framing incorrect record or writing with intent to save person from punishment or property from forfeiture, and section 219 with public servant in judicial proceeding corruptly making report, etc., contrary to law.
In his earlier affidavit with NCW, Bhatt had accused Gujarat Government of playing a "dubious role in shielding the high and mighty including chief minister Narendra Modi from lawful inquisition and legal punishment".
"I had also averred in my earlier affidavit that the honourable Justice Nanavati and Mehta Commission of Inquiry and the SIT were deliberately turning a blind eye to the overwhelming documentary, oral and circumstantial evidence to conceal the complicity of the government of Gujarat and its high functionaries in the carnage of 2002," Bhatt said quoting from his first affidavit filed with the NCW.
