Hardik arrested for instructing activists to block highway

Patel quota stir leader Hardik Patel, who is currently in jail in a sedition case, was today arrested by police for allegedly instructing his fellow activists to block National Highway passing from Surat two months back.
The 22-year-old firebrand leader has been arrested through transfer warrant by the Kamrej police.
"He is currently lodged in Lajpore jail in Surat on sedition charges. Thus, we brought him to police station today on transfer warrant and arrested him. We will produce him before the court tomorrow to seek his remand," Kamrej police inspector P N Patel said.
On October 18, when Hardik was detained ahead of the India-South Africa cricket match in Rajkot, some of his aides, including Surat convener of agitating body Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti(PAAS) Alpesh Kathiria, blocked the highway passing from Kamrej area on the outskirts of city to protest against Hardik's detention.

"At that time, we had lodged a complaint against Alpesh and few other local PAAS workers for causing chaos on the highway. Few days back we arrested Kathiria and learned during his remand that Hardik gave him instructions through phone to block the highway," Patel said.
Based on the revelation, Hardik's name has been added into the main FIR and he has been subsequently arrested, he said.

Hardik along with others are charged under various sections of IPC, including section 188 (disobeying police order), 341 (wrongful restraint), 151 (unlawful assembly) and 427 (mischief causing damage to property) in this case.

On October 19, Amroli police of Surat arrested Hardik on the charges of sedition for allegedly inciting a fellow activist to kill policemen instead of committing suicide.
Later, Ahmedabad crime branch also booked him under sedition charges. Ever since his arrest in October, Hardik has been lodged in Lajpore jail in Surat.