Hardik Arrested Again for Instructing Activists to Block Roads

Hardik Patel has been arrested again while still in custody for inciting his supporters into blcoking a highway.

Hardik Patel, convener of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), brandishes a sword presented to him at a function organised by Gujjars to honour him in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI)

Patel quota stir leader Hardik Patel, who is currently in jail on charges of sedition, was arrested on Sunday for allegedly instructing his fellow activists to block National Highway passing through Surat two months ago.

The 22-year-old firebrand leader has been arrested through transfer warrant by the Kamrej police.

He is currently lodged in Lajpore jail in Surat on sedition charges. Thus, we brought him to police station today on transfer warrant and arrested him. We will produce him before the court tomorrow to seek his remand.

<b>Inspector P N Patel, kamrej, Gujarat</b>

On October 18, when Hardik was detained ahead of the India-South Africa cricket match in Rajkot, some of his aides, including the Surat convener of agitating body Patidar Anamat Andolan Sami ti(PAAS) Alpesh Kathiria, blocked the highway passing from Kamrej area on the outskirts of city to protest against Hardik’s detention.

“At that time, we had lodged a complaint against Alpesh and few other local PAAS workers for causing chaos on the highway. Few days back we arrested Kathiria and learned during his remand that Hardik gave him instructions through phone to block the highway,” Patel said. Based on the revelation, Hardik’s name has been added into the main FIR and he has been subsequently arrested, he said.

Hardik, along with others, is charged under various sections of Indian Penal Code, including section 188 (disobeying police order), 341 (wrongful restraint), 151 (unlawful assembly) and 427 (mischief causing damage to property) in this case.

On October 19, Amroli police of Surat arrested Hardik on charges of sedition for allegedly inciting a fellow activist to kill policemen instead of committing suicide. Later, the Ahmedabad crime branch also booked him on charges of sedition. Ever since his arrest in October, Hardik has been lodged in Lajpore jail in Surat.