Hardik surfaces after mysterious disappearance

Adding to the mystery after the police said he has gone “missing”, Hardik claimed he was “abducted” by some unknown armed men, who threatened him of dire consequences if he did not call off his agitation, which is posing a challenge to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state. 

According to Patel leaders, Hardik called them around noon and asked them to pick him up from the highway passing from Dhrangadhra town in Surendranagar district.

“Some persons chased my car near <g data-gr-id="49">Bayad</g> (in Aravalli district)... then I was picked up... after that I was made to sit in a car for the entire night,” Hardik said. He added: “I was threatened to call off this agitation, else I would be eliminated. The person threatened me saying that it is the first and last warning, and if I am ever seen addressing a public meeting in a village, I will be eliminated.”

“After threatening me the entire night and ferrying me from <g data-gr-id="48">Bayad</g>, he dumped me at a village in Dhrangdhara taluka of Surendranagar,” Hardik said, adding: “I do not know who was he, whether a policeman or someone else but he had a revolver with him.”

“I wanted to know about the person and at whose behest he had kept me under his custody for the entire night,” he said.

Gandhinagar Range IG Hasmukh Patel had earlier said they could not locate him, but if he was found, he will be produced before a court.

In a rare post-midnight hearing that went on till 2.40 am, the High Court directed the state government to find Hardik after an aide moved a habeas corpus petition, alleging that the young leader had been illegally detained by police. However, police had maintained that he was not detained.

A division Bench comprising Justices MR Shah and KJ Thaker heard the petition at 1.20 am with Hardik’s aide Dinesh Patel seeking court’s intervention to direct authorities to produce Hardik.

The court issued a notice to the Gujarat government, Director General of Police, Range Inspector General and Aravalli District Superintendent of Police, directing them to file their reply by Thursday.

Public prosecutor Mitesh Amin said Hardik is not in police custody. However, the High Court asked the state government to find Hardik, saying that “he is a citizen of the country”.

The petitioner submitted that he was with Hardik when the police tried to detain him. He alleged that Hardik must have been in police custody.

Hardik had organised a public meeting in <g data-gr-id="42">Bayad</g> taluka of Aravali district on Tuesday allegedly without a prior permission. After the meeting, the police tried to detain him, but according to IG Hasmukh Patel he managed to evade them. The police later registered an FIR against Hardik and 20 others for violating prohibitory orders.