THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Shweta Bhatt, wife of former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt who was recently sentenced to life imprisonment in a 29-year-old case, said she had been regularly getting calls from Keralites who wanted to show their support.
“Every other second, I get a call from a Keralite expressing solidarity with us in our fight for justice. Despite the language barrier, the calls give me strength and encourage me to fight for my husband’s release,” said Shweta. She was in the capital with her son Shantanu to meet politicians and take up the case of her husband who was convicted in a custodial death case which was registered 29 years ago. She said her husband was a victim of political vendetta.
Shweta met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala on Wednesday. The leaders assured all their support to her cause. Pinarayi said he would take up the issue with other like-minded Chief Ministers and politicians. “I will contact Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and DMK leader MK Stalin to discuss the issue,” Pinarayi said. He said he would try to take MPs from the state into confidence and consider introducing a resolution in the next assembly session.
Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala said Shweta had his moral support. “I have suggested that she take legal recourse. The family was not allowed to meet Sanjiv due to the interference of PM Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah,” he alleged. The Jamnagar Sessions Court had, last month, sentenced the former Gujarat-cadre IPS officer to life imprisonment for his alleged role in custodial death of a person in 1990.
DYFI campaign
DFYI has announced a social campaign in support of Sanjiv Bhatt from July 26. “All social media platforms will be used in the campaign. The purpose is to sensitise people and highlight the injustice at the international level,” DYFI president Mohammed Riyaz told reporters.