Patidar quota agitation leader Lalji Patel arrested

Sardar Patel Group chief and quota agitation leader Lalji Patel has been arrested by Mehsana police in connection with the "jail bharo" agitation which had turned violent on April 17, police said on Wednesday.

"We arrested Lalji Patel late last night from the hospital where he was lodged. He is wanted in connection with the violence that broke out in Mehsana during "jail bharo" agitation," Mehsana Superintendent of Police, Chaitanya Mandlik said.

Patel, who heads SPG, one of the prominent groups seeking reservation for Patel community along with Hardik Patel-headed Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti, faces several charges under sections 307 (attempt to murder), 308 (attempt to culpable homicide), rioting, and other sections of Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.

He was named in an FIR along with 36 others after a "jail bharo" agitation call given by SPG on April 17, turned violent at Modhera cross roads in Mehsana.

Police resorted to lathicharge and firing of tear gas shells on agitators after they engaged in stone pelting at Modhera cross roads.

Last night, police detained Lalji and later placed him under arrest.

Lalji had sustained head injuries in the protest, and he at that time had claimed that he was hit in a police baton charge. He was admitted to Lion's hospital of Mehasana from where police detained him.

A blame game had erupted with police claiming they resorted to lathicharge only after some started hurling stones at them while Patel alleged that agitators were targeted without any provocation.

On April 17, curfew was clamped in Mehsana town in Gujarat and mobile internet service was banned as a massive rally of the Patel community demanding reservation and immediate release of their jailed leaders turned violent with two buildings being set ablaze and some police vehicles damaged.

According to police, a godown of Food Corporation of India and a district office were set on fire.

Also, five policemen and two officials had sustained injuries in the incidents, police had said while agitators claimed that 25 of their supporters were injured in police action. Mobile internet services were also banned in Surat and Rajkot as a precautionary measure.