Aakar Patel submits iPad ‘used’ to post tweets on Ghanchi community

Aakar Patel, Bengaluru-based journalist and former head of Amnesty International India, appeared before the Surat crime branch and surrendered his iPad reportedly used to post controversial tweets on Ghanchi community, which led to a defamation complaint filed against him by Surat (West) BJP MLA Purnesh Modi.

Modi, who is president of Samast Gujarati Modhvanik Samaj, of which the Ghanchi community is a part, had filed a complaint in July this year alleging that Patel had defamed the entire Ghanchi community. Surat crime branch had booked Patel under IPC sections 153 (a), 295 (a), 505(1), (b), (c), 499 and 500. Surat district sessions court had granted an anticipatory bail to Patel in September on the condition that he appear before the crime branch on the first of every month and submit his passport to police.

Patel told The Indian Express, “I obeyed the bail conditions and supported police… I have full faith in the justice system. I have also deleted the tweets made by me, after the controversy started. I have also submitted my passport and provided my present address and permanent address to the police, so that they can contact me when they require.”

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Assistant commissioner of police, Surat crime branch, RR Sarvaiya said, “We will send the I-pad to the Forensic Science Laboratory to retrieve the data.”

Patel, had on June 24 and June 27, tweeted on Ghanchi community, purportedly connecting it to Sabarmati train carnage in Godhra on February 27, 2002.