Hardik says he was arrested in Jaipur, police deny (Third Lead)

Gujarat Patidar leader Hardik Patel on Friday claimed that he was "arrested" here, but Jaipur city police denied it, saying he was only "escorted".

Patel earlier tweeted he was arrested on landing at the Jaipur airport, but a police officer told him that it was done as a precautionary measure as there was risk to his life.

"Jaipur police cited threat to my life as the reason," Patel said, and added he was "taken into custody". He even quoted an unnamed senior police officer as saying that there were "orders from above" to "arrest" him.

However, police in Jaipur denied any such arrest.

"We neither arrested nor detained him. We only provided him escort as there were some security concerns," Jaipur (East) Deputy Commissioner of Police Kumwar Rashtradeep told IANS.

"If we would have arrested or detained him, would it have been possible for him to tweet," the police officer asked.

Sources said Patel was expected to meet Kejriwal, who was already in the city to address a rally against the November 8 note ban.

Police were also worried that he could also try to meet Gujjar community leaders, who were campaigning for quota in Rajasthan, a source said.

Worried about the expected meetings of the Patidar leader, police confined him inside the airport, the source added.

Patel was later escorted to Udaipur where he is living for the last couple of months.

--IANS

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