Hardik, Alpesh, Jignesh booked for alleged 'fake raid'

Three young politicians in Gujarat, Patel quota stir leader Hardik Patel, OBC and Dalit leaders cum legislators Alpesh Thakor and Jignesh Mevani, late Saturday evening sat on a dharna outside Gandhinagar SP's office, alleging illegal liquor sale right there.

The three took the step after Gandhinagar Police filed an FIR against them for "trespassing" while conducting a Janata raid (public raid) at a house 100 metres from the SP's office on Thursday. 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. The provisions entail up to 7 years in jail but also allows for bail at the police station itself.

Trespass

The police booked the three on a complaint by Kanchanben Makwana, who claimed that the trio had entered her house purportedly to recover pouches of alcohol being sold illegally by her. "Kanchanben said that she does not sell liquor and the two pouches recovered from her house were planted by the people who entered her home," Virendrasinh Yadav, SP, Gandhinagar, said.

The three had on Thursday announced that they would launch a stir against illegal sale of liquor in “dry” state of Gujarat, which has a ban on sale or consumption of illegal liquor in the state.

“The Local Crime Branch will investigate the matter neutrally to verify whether the woman complainant or the trio, who have shared a few video proofs, is right,” Yadav told media persons.

Call off stir

The three, who later began a sit-in at SP's office, claimed that the police was trying to put their credibility in question as they had found the sale of liquor right opposite their (police) premises. They called off their protest after two rounds of meetings and also halted Janata raids till the annual rath yatra.