In a much talked about alleged abduction case of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) convener Hardik Patel, the Gujarat High Court on Thursday rejected the affidavit filed by Patel for the second consecutive time and told him to file yet another affidavit by October 19 with substantiate claims made in his advocate’s habeas corpus petition on Gujarat Police.
The 22-year-old PAAS convener’s two aides through advocate BM Mangukia had filed a habeas corpus petition on September 23 at around 1.30 am before the Gujarat High Court after Hardik’s dramatic disappearance from a public function at Tenpur village in North Gujarat on September 22. In the application, they said that the police had kept Hardik in their illegal custody. Interestingly, next moment, Hardik appeared before the mediapersons and talked to them in Surendranagar district.
later on, Hardik and Mangukia appeared before the court and claimed that some unknown persons, who locked him in a vehicle, threatened him with life at gun point and left high and dry on the highway. On this the court directed them to file an affidavit on the sequence of events. Reacting on it, Hardik filed a detailed affidavit.
However, the State Government in its affidavit said the he was never in the custody of police after that controversial public meeting in Tenpur and that he had fabricated the abduction story. The court on that day ordered Mangukia to submit a revised terse affidavit. However, again on Thursday the court expressed dissatisfaction on second revised affidavit and told him to substantiate claims made in the petition about his alleged abduction by ‘police-like persons’.
Meanwhile, the State Government told the court that during Hardik’s disappearance his close aides were in his constant touch. The affidavit was filed by sub inspector YJ Rathod on behalf of the State Government in which he claimed that PAAS convener was never abducted.