Ahmedabad

The ‘missing’ Patidar Anamat Aandolan Samiti (PAAS) leader Hardik Patel, who had mysteriously disappeared during a police crackdown after his public meeting in Tainpur of Aravalli district has been traced, Mr. B M Mangukiya, the advocate who had filed a habeas corpus petition for his production before the court after mid night claimed today.

Mangukiya is also Legal cell chairman of Gujarat Congress.

‘I am on my way to collect him. We had received a call and a message from Hardik in which he had claimed that he was dropped by police some where between Maliya and Dhrangdhra.,’ Mr. Mangukiya said.

He said that he was also accompanied by Hardik’s aide Dinesh Patel who had claimed that the PAAS leader was nabbed by police yesterday before his eyes.

Mr. Magukiya had filed the habeas corpus writ petition in the Gujarat High Court on behalf of PAAS leaders Dinesh and Ketan Patel after mid night demanding the production of the ‘missing’ Patidar Anamat Aandolan Samiti (PAAS) leader Hardik Patel in the court after a major crackdown against the activists of the outfit that is demanding reservation for Patel or Patidar community .

At least 17 of PAAS members/supporters including many close aides Hardik who himself was allegedly on the run to evade arrest after addressing a public meeting near Tainpur in Bayad area of Aravalli district yesterday without proper official permission, were nabbed from Aravalli, Ahmedabad and Surat.

With the habeas corpus writ, senior Advocate and convener of the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee legal cell, Mr. B M Mangukiya first approached acting chief justice Jayant Patel who instructed Justice M R Shah to hear the matter almost at two o clock past mid night. Justice shah held the hearing at his residence and instructed the state government and the police to find Hardik at the earliest. He fixed the next date of hearing on September 24.

PAAS convener and Hardik’s close aide Dinesh Patel claimed that he was nabbed by the police before his eyes. He had expressed apprehensions about any ‘untoward’ happening with his leader. However, Gandhinagar range IG Hansmukh Patel and Aravalli SP Mayur Chavda maintained that the PAAS leader had fled and has not been arrested as yet.