Sacked IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt's wife, who had contested against the then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in the 2012 Assembly elections on a Congress ticket, Wednesday approached the high court, seeking police protection.
Shweta Bhatt sought the Gujarat HC's direction to the respondents (the government) to provide her and her family with "armed police protection at the cost of the state", claiming there was a threat to her life.
Sanjiv Bhatt, is currently in judicial custody in a case of allegedly planting drugs to frame a person.
Justice Sonia Gokani, acting on her petition, issued notices to the Gujarat director general of police and the Ahmedabad Police commissioner and posted the matter for next hearing on May 10.
Security provided to Sanjiv Bhatt by the state government was withdrawn in July 2018.
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Two months later on September 5, 2018, he was arrested in connection with the 1996 case of allegedly planting drugs to frame a person.
Sanjiv Bhatt had approached the Supreme Court after his security cover was withdrawn. The apex court, in turn, had directed him to approach the high court.
After his arrest, the "threat perception" against her and her family members has increased, she said in her petition.
Shweta Bhatt said her contesting the Assembly election against Modi had "enraged many".
She said certain incidents after the arrest of her husband has caused her to worry about the safety and security of herself and her family members.
Her car had met with an accident when a truck hit it in Ahmedabad. Unidentified persons were seen loitering around her house, and she was also followed by unknown people, she claimed in her petition.
Even Gujarat Police personnel follow her in plainclothes, making it hard for her to distinguish between police and unidentified persons, she claimed.
Shweta Bhatt said that a part of their house was demolished by the civic body recently and it has become vulnerable.
The demolished portion was deemed illegal by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation.
Sanjiv Bhatt was suspended in 2011 on charges of remaining absent from duty without permission and misuse of official vehicle.
The Gujarat cadre IPS officer was eventually sacked by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs in August 2015.
He had crossed swords with Modi, the then chief minister, on several occasions over the 2002 post-Godhra riots.
Shweta Bhatt had unsuccessfully contested against Modi from the Maninagar Assembly constituency here in 2012.
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