Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti convenor Hardik Patel, who has been staying in Udaipur after his expulsion from Gujarat, has moved the Rajasthan High Court, challenging the police confining him at his temporary residence, which he says amounts to “house arrest” without any valid ground.
The Gujarat High Court had released Mr. Patel on bail last month with a rider that he will remain out of the State for six months. Mr. Patel has accused the police officers of misinterpreting the conditions imposed on him by wrongfully confining him at a Congress leader’s house in Udaipur’s Srinath Nagar.
In his habeas corpus writ petition, the Patel quota agitation leader has stated that he has been illegally kept under house detention even though the Gujarat High Court had granted him liberty, and, its July 8 bail order did not mention any such condition. The Udaipur Inspector-General of Police had summoned Mr. Patel on July 20 and ordered him not to leave his place of stay without obtaining the High Court’s prior permission.
Replies soughtA Division Bench of Rajasthan High Court, headed by Justice G.K. Vyas, at its principal seat in Jodhpur on Friday issued notices on the petition to the State government and the State police, asking them to file their replies by September 2, when the case comes up for further hearing.
The writ petition pointed out that heavy police force comprising over 20 personnel had been deployed outside Mr. Patel’s temporary residence, CCTV cameras has been installed and a temporary police post had been set up there.
Accusing the police authorities of blocking his freedom and restraining his free movements, Mr. Patel said a false case of not paying toll tax was also registered against him.
“The acts of the police officers disclose cognisable offences and the offence [of confinement] is in continuation till today,” said the petition.
