Phone Charger and Battery Found in Hardik Patel’s Cell, FIR Lodged

Police recovered a mobile phone charger, battery and a letter from Hardik Patel’s possession in a Surat jail. (Photo: PTI)

An FIR was registered against Patidar quota agitation leader Hardik Patel on Thursday after police recovered a mobile phone charger and a battery and a letter from his possession in a Surat jail, where he has been imprisoned.

Police said they recovered the objects in Hardik’s possession on Wednesday when he was being escorted out to be produced before the court of Judicial Magistrate at Visnagar.

He has been charged under section 188 of the IPC (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), as well as sections 43, 44 and 45 (12) of the Prison Act for receiving, bringing or removing prohibited articles from prison cells.

AS Brahmbhatt, in-charge of Sachin Police Station where the FIR was filed, said:

When the police were taking him out of the jail yesterday(Wednesday) afternoon to be taken to Visnagar, where he was to be produced before a local court in connection with an FIR filed against him and others for rioting and assault, they recovered a mobile charger, a mobile battery and a letter from his possession. The objects were recovered when he was still inside the jail, so an FIR was filed against him.

The development comes close on the heels of the recovery of a mobile phone last Saturday from outside the jail barrack where Hardik is lodged.

The recovery of the mobile phone had put Hardik under scanner, as police were investigating whether the phone, recovered just outside his barrack, belongs to him.