Ahmedabad: Father of PAAS convener Hardik Patel, Bharat Patel will soon be arrested in connection with a case filed under various sections of the Arms Act by the police in his home-town Viramgam related to the illegal celebratory firing during a marriage ceremony of Hardik’s cousin sister.

Eight accused including 7 conveners of PAAS and Hardik’s uncle Vipul Patel (whose name was in limelight last year when Hardik’s former aides Chirag and Ketan Patel had made allegation of misuse of fund collected for Patidar quota agitation by Hardik and Vipul for leading luxurious life) have already been arrested in the case, PI Viramgam V B Jadeja today said.

He said that after the investigation of the video handed over by complainant Hardik Kartik Patel (known as Chhota Hardik) on April 14, the case was filed under section 25 (1)(b) and 27 of the Arms Act which has a provision of up to 10 years of imprisonment.

‘The investigation revealed that in the marriage ceremony of the daughter of Hardik’s uncle Ghanshyam Patel in the night of February 2, a revolver and a 12 bore gun were used for firing. It has been established that the gun belonged to Hardik’s father who will now be arrested for interrogation,’ the PI said.

The eight arrested so far will be produced in the court today and the remand of one of them will be sought to find out the revolver used for firing,’ Jadeja said.

He said that apart from Vipul Patel, 7 PAAS conveners who had been arrested were Hemang Patel, Vijay Patel, Brijesh Patel, Akshay Patel, Jayendra Patel, Rahul Patel and Lala Patel.

‘Of these we will seek the remand of Jayendra Patel to find out the revolver used for firing,’ he said adding that so far no direct role of Hardik himself in the firing incident has come to fore though he was present on the occasion. Vipul, who used to manage his finances during his incarceration and exile in sedition case, is his father’s cousin brother.

The video clip of the incident handed over to police by Chhota Hardik, who is also a relative of the PAAS convener and lives in Chandranagar locality of Viramgam where Hardik’s paternal residence is located, shows that Hardik is visible at the venue and some of the PAAS leaders are seen dancing with weapons in their hands. One convener of PAAS and aide of Hardik, identified as Hemang Patel resident of Rajkot, is seen firing two rounds in air from a gun.

Notably, love for weapons of the PAAS leader is well-known as in one of his profile pictures in social media he had posed with a gun for which he also had to face criticism from various quarters.

DeshGujarat