Thread by @SaketGokhale

A "clean chit" after BJP tortured a decorated officer for years

My father, Suhas Gokhale, was arrested by Modi govt on the eve of his retirement. He had finished his work on the last day of his 30-year-service and was looking forward to his retirement parade the next day (1/18)

It was an especially poignant moment for my father who served 14 of his 30 years in uniform in a state of partial paralysis after being injured in the line of duty. Allegedly on orders from the PM & Mah. CM, they arrested him at midnight - the night before his retirement (2/18)

When his fellow officers were at the retirement parade in the morning, he was thrown into jail. He kept pleading that he be allowed to attend his parade at least but they said no. But directions from “saheb” in Delhi were clear - don’t let him have a graceful retirement. (3/18)

After that, they tortured him for 4 years. Despite the court (while granting him bail) stating that there was no evidence against him, the “nationalists who seeks-votes-in-the-name-of-our-uniformed-personnel” kept persecuting him for 4 years. (4/18)

They tarnished his reputation, jailed him, persecuted him, & put him into a place where he started suffering from hypertension and other ailments. They tried to break him and humiliated him. (5/18)

And all through these 4 years, I saw him constantly repeating and saying “Saket, I have done no wrong. For 30 years I’ve defended my country and my Constitution. What did I do to deserve this?”

Watching him constantly pleading his innocence was spirit-crushing. (6/18)

Today, after 4 years, the Mumbai Crime Branch has submitted in court that my father was innocent and there was no evidence against him. 4 fucking years. They have now told the court that all charges are being dropped against him. (7/18)

My father was due to receive a meritorious service medal on his retirement day. Also his promotion came on the day of his retirement which was immediately taken away from him when they arrested him.(8/18)

Four years of persecution & they couldn’t crush him. Four years of constantly pleading your innocence. Four years of looking at the uniform & the tricolor that you proudly served for 3 decades & paying the price for being a “secular officer” (which is a slur in #NewIndia). (9/18)

My father’s service of 3 decades to the nation stands validated today. His innocence, which he pleaded for 4 years, stands validated today. They tried to crush him & they couldn’t.

A paralyzed decorated officer won today against the force of the system of “#NewIndia”. (10/18)

Honestly, this “victory” means nothing. It destroyed my father. It emptied and crushed his soul. After dutifully serving the nation for 3 decades, I saw my father (who had proudly ironed his crisp uniform for his retirement parade) finally break down and weep like a child (11/18)

My dad will never get back his retirement parade. He will never get the joy of seeing his 30 year career culminate with full honors. He lost his promotion & his honor.

In this lifetime, my father didn’t get to wear his beloved uniform on the last day of his service. (12/18)

Silly man still says that in another lifetime, he would choose to be an officer and serve the country again. He says he wouldn’t do anything differently.

Thats his love for his country.

And this man was tortured by those who ask for votes in the name of the uniform. (13/18)

The edifice of the BJP's power & victory is built on the blood & cries of such officers. No one speaks a word for them. Be it a Sanjiv Bhatt, Hemant Karkare, or Inspector Subodh Kumar shot by gau rakshaks in Bulandshahr - they only remain names soon to be forgotten. (14/18)

This screenshot is the news from today reporting his innocence and that all charges against him have been dropped. (15/18)

Link: mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/mumbai/crime/a…

This image is a news from 2015 announcing his arrest. Ironically, even the news headline reporting his arrest referred to him as an “honest cop”. That was my dad’s reputation. Mr. Honest. Mr. Clean. What was it all worth? Nothing. (16/18)

Link: timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Ho…

The third picture is of my father as a young officer in his first year of service - determined, passionate, and unaware of the fact that, 3 decades later, he would be denied his retirement by a petty man with an alleged 56" chest. (17/18)

I’m proud of my old man. I'm proud of his honesty, righteousness, his burning passion to fight against injustice, & his resilience.

This is the story of the "nationalist" BJP & what they do to officers who stand up to them.

This is what u get for serving the nation (18/18)

PS: My father, an officer, poetically got justice on #KargilVijayDiwas.

To all those tweeting on it today, just ask ur self - do you really care about those in uniform who sacrifice everything for the nation?

Because if you did, u wouldn’t let the bigots destroy their legacy