VHP man facing sedition charges had procured SIM on fake documents

Investigating police officers said this on Friday, four days after his arrest.

A Local Crime Branch LCB team of the Gandhinagar police had arrested Patel from Ranip in Ahmedabad on Monday on charges of sedition, defamation and inflaming communal passions.

He is currently in the custody of Gandhinagar police. The arrest was made after the LCB tracked the mobile phone number from which SMSes were being sent after the July 26 serial blasts in Ahmedabad.

8220;It was found during our investigations that Patel had procured a Vodafone SIM card by giving a forged driving licence as his address proof. This card was used only for sending these SMSes,8221; said Deputy Superintendent of Police and Investigating Officer M L Ninama.

He added that the SIM card has been sent to the Directorate of Forensic Science DFS, Gandhinagar for examination.

Sources in the Gandhinagar police said that Patel had procured this SIM card around one-and-a-half-year ago.

8220;Though Patel8217;s driving licence has his Ahmedabad addresses on it, the one he had submitted as address proof for the card showed he was a resident of Gandhinagar,8221; said Inspector P P Bhatt, who had filed the FIR against Patel.

The police are likely to seek extension of his custody, as his present custody period expires on Saturday.

A prominent chemical businessman in the city, Patel has been associated with the VHP for the last 15 years.