Violence erupts in Gujarat following arrest of Patidar leader Alpesh Kathiriya

Violence erupted in Gujarat after Patidar quota agitation leader Alpesh Kathiriya, a close aide of Hardik Patel, was arrested by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch in an old sedition case.

Mobs set a BRTS bus on fire at Yogi Chawk and damaged a bus stand at Varachha area. The group also burnt tyres and petled stones. 

Kathiriya is a leader of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), an outfit organising protests demanding reservation for the Patidar community. 

Hardik and other Patidar leaders were on their way to Nikol assembly constituency of Ahmedabad district when they were detained by the crime branch. The group was intended to take part in a one-day hunger strike over the issue of reservation.

Surat Police Commissioner Satish Sharma said the situation was under control and the police were trying to ascertain who were behind the violence.

"A BRTS bus was set ablaze and a bus stand damaged by mobs, but we have brought the situation under control. We are trying to ascertain who all were behind the violence. It appears that those behind the violence are PAAS members and those sympathising with the outfit," he said.

While eight of them were released on bail after being booked under sections 143 (punishment for unlawful assembly) and 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions) of the IPC, Kathiriya was shown as arrested in a sedition case dating back to 2015, in which he was an accused, a Crime Branch official said.

On July 25, Patel along with his two aides was sentenced to two years of imprisonment by a local court in Gujarat for inciting violence during a protest rally held in 2015. They, however, were later granted bail with a direction to file an appeal in the Gujarat High Court within a month.