Gujarat pogrom whistleblower sentenced to 20 years in prison in sham case

Former police officer Sanjiv Bhatt, political prisoner and whistleblower who testified to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s orchestration of the bloody 2002 Gujarat pogrom, has been sentenced to an additional 20 years in a sham drug case. 

In 2011, Sanjiv Bhatt filed an affidavit in the Indian Supreme Court, presenting evidence that Modi instructed law enforcement not to intervene in the violence, stating, “Let Hindus vent their anger.” In the years since, Modi has pressured India’s judicial system to retaliate against Bhatt for his testimony. Bhatt was suspended from his police duties at Modi’s urging just four months after filing the affidavit. 

Following Modi’s ascent to Prime Ministership in 2014, Bhatt was dismissed from service in 2015, and his offices, along with part of his family’s home, were demolished as a punitive measure. He was sentenced to life in prison in 2018 for a custodial death case in which he had no involvement. 

Hindu mob chants vulgar anti-Muslim slogans outside mosque

In Goa state, a mob of Hindu youth chanted vulgar anti-Muslim slogans in Konkani outside of a local mosque while Muslims were praying inside. 

Acts of intimidation against Muslims praying in mosques over the past couple of few weeks have included attempted bomb attacks, gunfire, and vandalisms.

Police open fire at alleged “cattle smuggler,” victim sustains bullet wound

In Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, police fired gunshots at an alleged “cattle smuggler,” who sustained a bullet injury in his leg. 

The incident is the latest in an ongoing trend of violent attacks against predominantly Muslim cattle traders by law enforcement. Over the last few months, multiple such injuries have occurred due to police firing.