Gujarat: Hardik Patel, Alpesh Thakor, Jignesh Mevani Booked For Trespassing “Liquor Den”

The Gujarat police on Saturday filed a complaint against Congress MLA Alpesh Thakor, independent MLA Jignesh Mevani and Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti leader Hardik Patel for criminal trespass on a complaint lodged by a woman. The three leaders on June 5, allegedly “raided” a woman’s house where they claimed a ‘liquor den’ was operating.

According to the Indian Express, the three leaders along with dozen supporters ‘raided’ the house of 55-year-old Kanchanben Makwana. Later, Makwana, a widow and a mother of four, filed a complaint at the Gandhinagar Sector 21 police station. The case has been registered under Sections 452 (house trespass), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 193 (false evidence), and 114 (abetment). Makwana lives barely 200 metres from the office of the district superintendent of police.

Soon after the FIR was lodged, the three leaders protested outside the Gandhinagar SP office for nearly four hours, urging the police to arrest them. They also met Gandhinagar Superintendent of Police Virendra Yadav and demanded to be arrested. However, Yadav refused to arrest the three, saying that the investigations were still on.

“Lawlessness”

SP Yadav said, “They have no authority to do this. What if tomorrow some individual raids these leaders’ residences without authority? Such acts can also lead to incidents of mob lynchings sometimes.”

The police have admitted that there are a couple of cases against Makwana. However, the SP said, the police can’t raid a suspected place without following procedures.

Defending their action

The three leaders have lashed out at the government and the police for registering an FIR against them. They said it is a move to question the credibility of their act. They also demanded that the history of the woman complainant be made public. “The government should declare the criminal background of the woman. Her husband was into bootlegging, and there were three cases against him. Instead of making the state liquor-free, they have booked us,” they said.

Congress MLA Thakor told the Indian Express, “Under the provisions of the Representation of People Act, elected members of a Legislative Assembly are called Gazetted Offices who are empowered to conduct Janata Raid.”

According to Thakor, they did not trespass into anybody’s house. “One of our men went to buy liquor as a customer, and we did not enter the house till police arrived. Plus, after the customer got the liquor pouch, we informed police on 100 number that here liquor is being sold illegally,” he added.

Meanwhile, the police will investigate into the matter and will check the footage to see if the three leaders did trespass the lady’s house or not. “Even before police, media had reached there. They would check videos that had been made of the raid to verify claims of the two sides”, said SP Yadav.

The Logical Indian tried to contact MLA Mevani and Hardik, but after several attempts, they could not be reached.