Shweta Bhatt talks about 4 years of ordeal and years yet to come

The former IPS officer of Gujarat, Sanjeev Bhatt was put behind bars on fabricated cases. Justice is still far away. These are times when those who are arrested in trivial cases are later named culprits in several other cases. In a detailed conversation, Sanjeev's wife, and strength, Shweta Bhatt says when you escape from one false charge, they entangle you in another.

Shweta Bhatt's strong words are only a thin film that can hardly hide her burning heart. Even though she is talking with a smile from time to time, Sanjeev Bhatt's wife is trying to stop a sob from escaping. She is talking about the four years after her husband's arrest and the changes it brought about in the family. While facing all obstacles, Sanjeev's strength was Shweta and now she has become his voice too.

This phase will also pass

Another Diwali festival has passed and it has been four years since the light has gone out from our lives. Our family's days have become lifeless. We are visiting courts one after another for justice and it often feels like an endless battle. We are going through a very painful phase. Sanjeev and I prepared for civil service exams together. I gave it up halfway through after learning that we have to be apart from each other for work, says Shweta. We stayed together for 35 years and it hurts more because it is a fabricated case that finally separated us. Justice is still far away. He is being punished for a politically motivated retaliatory case with no evidence against him. It is four years since the conviction. These are the moments that seemed endless.

We have been through four dark New Years and four lightless Diwalis. At this point, even the children's advanced degrees seemed meaningless. As Sanjeev says, he will fight till he gets justice. He carries on without bowing down and never falling on his knees. He keeps fighting. Our fight for justice against this fascist regime will continue. Separation from us is a great mental stress for him; there is no punishment greater than that. Even when the court sentenced him to prison, he was sad thinking about the family and its survival.

Gathering strength day and night

I end up crying at dawn and dusk feeling alone and overwhelmed with emotions. Many mixed feelings would pass through the mind. Even through that, I gather the strength and energy to continue the fight. Now I am Sanjeev's voice. The world knows about him through me. If my steps falter, a big hope will end. If I fall here, a lot of people will lose hope. My strength is the feeling that I am not alone in this fight. The support given by people from Kerala cannot be forgotten. It's been four years without my husband. It may just be years for others. For me, it was 1462 days and 35,088 hours fighting for justice. There are a lot of difficulties along the way. Our security was withdrawn. Some parts of the house where we have been living for 23 years were demolished by authorities citing flimsy grounds. We are moving forward by surviving several threats. One day, everything will be better. That is the hope which keeps us going.

A team effort of mother and children

My children cannot be with me all the time. They are busy with work and other things. Our children Shantanu and Akashi have completed their studies. Shantanu is an architect and Akashi is a doctor. Akashi was at Oxford when his father was arrested. Like his father, he wanted to do everything to perfection. They always wanted to prove that they were 'his' children. We met Sanjeev days ago and Shantanu was there. The meeting between Shanthanu and Sanjeev was very emotional.

Sanjeev has a very close relationship with children, like friends. Sanjeev and Shantanu would be together in the playgrounds. Now Shantanu is his mother's strength. A child who grew up in his father's shadow, he has become a responsible young man. If they were not with me, I would have lost my way in this darkness. When they were together, they went to college together. They spent meal times and even exercise hours together. It was a very deep relationship. When they come home, children wish to see a home with their parents together. A home without him is a painful sight for them. His birthday is coming in December. Once he went to jail, we have not celebrated any of our birthdays.

A government that imprisons dissenters

The BJP government is keeping people in jail on purpose. They arrest everyone who they see as a challenge. These are times when those who are arrested in trivial cases are later named culprits in several other cases. When you escape from one false charge, they entangle you in another. At the same time, when the government's supporters commit crimes - no matter how serious - all attempts are made to save them from the gallows. The incident of the Bilkis Bano case of convicts being allowed to walk free is just one example. The sufferings she experienced as a woman were unparalleled. Yet, she did not get justice. They arrested Sanjeev in September 2018 with the sole objective of silencing him. They tried a lot to break his resolve and discredit him.

He has worked with honesty and dedication for 35 years. Numerous innocent people like Sanjeev are in jail. If no one is willing to take the risk, nothing will change. Sanjeev always said that India is on the brink of a turning point.

Justice will be served one day

More charges are being slapped on him again and again. Even in the current situation, the hope of getting justice is not lost. The cases against him are fabricated. I lead my mind forward with more and more strength each day. When each new charge is added to the list, we wait for a day when all that gets proven to be false. A day will come when he walks free.

The days of fighting the case

Sanjeev Bhatt was sentenced to life by the Jamnagar Sessions Court in Gujarat in a case linked to the 1990 custodial death of VHP activist Prabhudas Madhavji Vaishnavi. He died when Sanjeev was Assistant Superintendent of Police at Jamnagar. Police had taken into custody 133 people including the victim for inciting riots during the Bharat Bandh on October 30, 1990. Vaishnavi spent nine days in custody.

Vaishnavi died ten days after coming out on bail. Medical reports say that the cause of death was kidney failure. However, the press release by his family says it was not Sanjeev Bhatt who took Vaishnani into custody. He was arrested hours before Sanjeev's arrival at the police station. In fact, the press release also said Sanjeev was controlling a violent crowd at the time of the arrest. Sanjeev was also absent from the team that questioned Vaishnavi.

Sanjeev was once again arrested by a special investigation team in a case associated with the 2002 Gujarat riots. This happened when he was already in Palanpur jail in Banaskantha district since 2018 in a drug case. The team sought a special order to arrest him again.

(English translation done by Sheena Joseph)