Sanjiv Bhatt and Sanjay Joshi: curious coincidence of Modi-baiters ending up in a sex scandal

Sanjiv Bhatt, sacked IPS officer of Gujarat, received a show cause notice from the state government on 14 August. The step was taken after the Home Department of the government received information about his 'extra-martial relationship'.

An alleged 11-minute sex-tape was also sent to the department in a pen drive along with the complaint.

According to the notice, the authenticity of the clip was confirmed by forensic science laboratory of Gandhinagar.

However, Bhatt has rubbished all the charges and said that the person in the video was someone who bears a general resemblance to him.

Bhatt was suspended in 2011, after he filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court and claimed that he was also present in a meeting at the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi's house where the CM said that 'Hindus should be allowed to vent their anger' at the time of 2002 Gujarat riots.

Lets have a look at the other two people who took on Narendra Modi and got into similar trouble:

Sanjay Joshi

An RSS man, Joshi has always been seen as a rival to Narendra Modi because of the stark difference in their character and working style.

Joshi was a close aide of Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel who came to power in 1995. After an ego clash with Patel, Narendra Modi was shifted to New Delhi from Gujarat in 1998.

But soon Narendra Modi would become the CM of Gujarat in 2001 and Joshi was forced to leave the state grudgingly. Like Bhatt, he also got into trouble after a sex CD involving him was leaked in the media. Initially claimed that Modi was behind the leaking of the tape.

Later however, he gave a written declaration stating the then Chief Minister of Gujarat didn't have any hand in the scandal.

The change of stance apparently came about due to pressure from other party leaders.

Pradeep Sharma

The IAS officer accused Narendra Modi of stalking and ordering surveillance on a woman architect from Bangalore.

In a petition filed in Supreme Court, Sharma sought CBI investigation into the alleged illegal surveillance case .

This controversy cropped up just before the General elections in 2014.

Interestingly, Sharma too ran into trouble with the state of Gujarat. The state government accused him of carrying out anti-national activities, of acquiring disproportionate assets and amassing benaami property.

The Gujarat government accused him of having illicit relationship with multiple women and that too married women.

The state also revealed minute details about him having pornographic and/or obscene conversations with the women, mostly his subordinate officers and wives of relatives.