New Delhi: The Viswa Hindu Parisad (VHP) on Monday claimed that its international convener Pravin Togadia (62) was detained by Rajasthan Police and later in the evening he was sent back to Gujarat from Sola after it was reported that he is 'missing' from his house.
"In a ten-year old 'Trishul Diksha' case Pravin bhai was been detained by the Rajasthan police and later he was sent back to his home," senior VHP leader Surendra Jain told the Millennium Post. "A total of 16 people were accused, 15 are out on bail…the case is subjudice. As he did not appear in the court in the given times the Rajasthan Police detained him," he added further.
Earlier the day, local VHP workers held a protest demanding that he be "traced". They laid a siege to the Sola police station, shouted slogans, and blocked traffic on main Sarkehj- Gandhinagar highway demanding that the police immediately locate him.
According to Rajasthan police officials an arrest warrant against the Hindutva leader was issued under Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the IPC, but could not find him at his residence.
Meanwhile, Ahmedabad police have formed four teams to locate his whereabouts, said Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ahmedabad JK Bhatt, while denying that he has not been arrested either by Gujarat or Rajasthan police as was being speculated by VHP workers and followers. "We are trying to find his location. He left in an auto around 10:45 this morning from VHP office in the city," Bhatt told mediapersons in a briefing amidst speculations of Togadia's detention or arrest by Rajasthan police in a decade old case.