Visnagar police today took custody of Patel quota agitation leader Hardik Patel from Lajpore jail in Surat in a case of rioting and assault lodged against him on July 23.
Mehsana superintendent of police, J R Mothalia said that Visnagar police obtained transfer warrant from the sessions court in Surat this evening.
Hardik has been lodged in Lajpore jail for the last three months in connection with a sedition case. He is facing another sedition case in Ahmedabad.
"Hardik is named as an accused in the FIR filed at Visnagar on July 23 when a rally of Patel community seeking reservations turned violent. We took his custody for further investigation of the case," said Mothalia.
A procession of over 25,000 people from Patel community, during which Hardik was present, turned violent in Visnagar town in Mehsana district of Gujarat on July 23. It was the first prominent event of the quota agitation.
The agitators wanted to hand over a memorandum of demands to the local BJP MLA Rishikesh Patel. Not finding him at his office, some members of the procession vandalised the office as well as shops and vehicles parked in the area.
"The mob also attacked some media persons. One of those reporters lodged a complaint against Hardik and seven others for rioting, damaging property and assault," the SP said.
