2002 riots: Another IPS officer earns the ire of Modi govt

Ahmedabad, Aug 11: After Sanjiv Bhatt, another IPS officer Rahul Sharma has earned the ire of Narendra Modi government in connection with 2002 riots probe, with authorities issuing a show cause notice to him asking why he should not be charge sheeted for giving CDs of call records during the violence to various agencies including SIT.

Sharma, a DIG rank officer, today filed a petition in Gujarat High Court challenging the state government''s decision of not providing him the "grounds" on which he was served the show cause notice on February 5 over the CD containing call records during the riots.

The petition was today mentioned before Justice Abhilasha Kumari who has posted it for on Friday, Aug 12. The state government might contemplate taking action against Sharma after the notice period ends today, officials said.

Sharma, who was posted in Ahmedabad during the 2002 post-Godhra riots, had given CDs containing phone call records of the 2002 riots to various agencies including Nanavati Commission and the SIT.

In his petition, Sharma has said that he asked the state government on what grounds he was issued the show cause on the matter, but the state government denied him the information.

Sharma had also filed an application under the right to information (RTI) act seeking details of the grounds on which the notice was served to him.

If action is taken against Sharma, he would be the second officer to face music after Sanjiv Bhatt, a 1988 batch IPS officer who was was suspended on Tuesday after he was locked in a public confrontation with the Gujarat government over post-Godhra riots.

PTI