Alpesh, Hardik, Mevani protest outside police station

Gandhinagar, July 8: Patel quota stir leader Hardik Patel, OBC and Dalit leaders as well as legislators Alpesh Thakor and Jignesh Mevani reached the office of the Gandhinagar Superintendent of Police to court arrest in a trespass case against them. But before they sat on a dharna on late Saturday evening, they demanded the SP declare the antecedents and the business of the person, who had complained against the three for illegal trespass in home, as part of their self-styled ‘janata raid’ against sale of illicit liquor in the state capital last Thursday. They said they would not move from there till the senior officer agrees to their demand. After the late-night drama, the Superintendent of Police eventually came out and admitted that the family was indeed into illegal sale of country-made liquor. Following this, everyone dispersed.

The owner of the house, Kanchanben Makwana filed a police complaint, alleging that Thakore, Patel and Mevani, had entered her house without permission and “this was harassment”. Makwana claimed the alcohol ‘found’ at her home was planted by one of the supporters of the three before they entered her house in garb of carrying out a ‘janata raid’. The three have been booked under various sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC), including Section 452 (assault or wrongful restraint), Section 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), Section 193 (intentionally giving false evidence) and trespass. If proven, the provisions in the law stipulate up to 7 years in jail. However, bail is possible at the police station level itself. (IANS)