Crackdown on Hardik Patel supporters, 17 nabbed in Gujarat

Hardik and his associates had gone to Tenpur village of Bayad taluka where a function was organised by Patidars to pay homage to those Patidars who were killed in violence.

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Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) convener Hardik Patel.

The Gujarat police has launched a statewide crackdown on members of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), which is agitating in demand of reservation benefits for the Patel community.

On Tuesday, 12 supporters of Samiti convener Hardik Patel were arrested when they were returning from a public meeting in Bayad taluka of north Gujarat’s Aravalli district. Hardik, who had attended the meeting, managed to escape. In Surat, Hardik’s two supporters—Alpesh Katheriya and Hasmukh Rayani—were taken into preventive custody late in the evening based on inputs that they could disturb the the law and order situation. The duo were nabbed before they were to address a press meet.

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At around 8.30 pm, officials of the Detection of Crime Branch in Ahmedabad City nabbed three of Hardik’s aides — Dashrath Patel, Chirag Patel and Atul Patel — from Shahibaug area. The trio were going to address the media regarding the arrests of the 12 PAAS supporters returning from the Bayad meet.

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At Tenpur village of Bayad taluka, Patidars had organised a function to pay homage to those killed in the violence after the August 25 rally in Ahmedabad. The function, which was being held without police permission, witnessed a gathering of hundreds of Patidars.

Gandhinagar Range IG Hasmukh Patel said: “The meeting was conducted without police permission. We let them (Hardik and his associates) attend the meeting because we did not want to clash with the crowd. We kept our nakabandi a little away from the venue. After the meeting, they left the venue in five vehicles. We stopped three vehicles, but two (including the one in which Hardik was) made a U-turn and escaped. We have arrested 12 people.”

Patel said the 12 were booked under Section 188 of IPC for violating prohibitory orders. He also made it clear that Hardik will be arrested in the case. “He is an absconder in this case and we will be arresting him. We will try to get his location and arrest him soon,” he said.

Speaking to reporters regarding the two arrests in Surat, Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana said that following the police action in Bayad, they received inputs that Hardik’s aides had instructed Katheriya and Rayani to disturb peace in Surat. Asthana said that there were apprehensions that the duo could vitiate the law and order situation in the area.

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