Amidst claims and counter claims regarding his "disappearance" and "arrest" by the police, Patel agitation leader Hardik Patel surfaced near Halvad in Surendranagar district. He claimed that the police had "abducted" him on Tuesday and left him on a highway today.

However, the Gujarat government has dismissed the allegation he was "abducted or detained" by the cops. The Gandhinagar range IG Hasmukh Patel, who called Hardik a "criminal" said he faces arrest in connection with holding a public meeting without permission on Tuesday in a village in north Gujarat. Hardik's lawyer BM Mamgukia left for Halvad to meet him while the police sources said he could be arrested anytime. He is likely to be produced before the court on Thursday in the habeas corpus writ filed by his lawyer Mangukia.

The Gujarat High Court had asked the State government to find Hardik Patel and produce him in the court by Thursday. The court passed order on a habeas corpus writ filed at 1:30 am and heard by Justice MR Shah at his residence at 2:30 am.

Key aide arrrested

The Gujarat police on Wednesday continued its crackdown on Hardik Patel and his key aides. After detaining his aides in Ahmedabad and Surat, the police have arrested Nilesh Patel from Morbi in Saurashtra under sedition for “using indecent language for the PM and CM” in messages sent on social media during the agitation.

Besides sedition, Nilesh Patel has also been arrested under cyber crime for allegedly sending messages “to incite violence and create enmity between communities in society.”

Habeas Corpus writ

Mr. Hardik’s lawyer submitted that the young leader is already in the police custody, a charge the police categorically denied maintaining that he is “on the run after he escaped the police” from a village in North Gujarat.

A habeas corpus writ has been filed at mid night in Gujarat High Court seeking that Mr. Hardik be produced in the court.

“The police claim that he escaped the police and disappeared but we are apprehending that the police have arrested him and is not disclosing,” said a key member of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), the outfit Mr. Hardik floated to launch agitation seeking reservation benefits for the dominant Patel community in Gujarat.

Earlier, Ahmedabad police detained Chirag Patel and two others before they were to hold a press conference at 8:30 pm Tuesday night. In Surat also, the police have reportedly arrested Alpesh Patel and others, who were involved in organising Ekta Yatra, last Saturday.

Chirag Patel is a key aide of Mr. Hardik and had earlier contested the 2012 Assembly polls against Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel. Mr. Chirag was a candidate from Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP), a political outfit floated by the ex-Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel, who had dissolved it after the Assembly polls.

Hardik is a criminal: IG

A top police officer of Gujarat on Tuesday described Hardik Patel as a “criminal” and said the police is looking for him after Mr Patel escaped the police in a dramatic manner when he was attending a Patel community function in a village in North Gujarat.

“He was holding the meeting without police permission and when the police reached at the venue, he disappeared. We are looking for him,” said Gandhinagar range IG Hasmukh Patel.

“He is a criminal, not a leader of any community or any agitation. He is trying to instigate people to turn violent in the name of agitation,” the police officer added.

“They have arrested Chirag Patel and two others before the press conference. The police have taken them to undisclosed location,” said Harikesh Patel, a media coordinator of the PAAS.

In fact, anticipating tough action from the police, Mr. Hardik alleged on Monday that the State administration was trying to break his agitation by “implicating its leaders in false police cases.”

“We are prepared to be sacrificed for the interests of the Patel community,” Mr. Hardik said, slamming the Anandiben administration for its attempts to break the agitation.