Wife files affidavit on behalf of jailed Hardik Patel

AHMEDABAD: As Patidar quota stir leader Hardik Patel's two associates - Dinesh Bambhania and Ketan Patel - failed to file an affidavit despite directions of Gujarat high court on five occasions, Bambhania's wife, Pintuben, filed an affidavit on Monday defending her husband.
Bambhania's wife justified her move by stating that her husband and Ketan were in jail and not in a position to file the affidavit as directed by the HC.
She said that their lawyer BM Mangukiya too had refused to help in filing the affidavit though the accused are facing grave charges punishable with death.
Defending the habeas corpus petition for Hardik which was filed by the duo at midnight, Pintuben stated, "The apprehension in the minds of petitioners at the time of filing the petition about abduction of Hardik Patel had proved to be correct."
The HC has been insisting that the petitioners should file affidavit and submit proof of their allegations that Hardik was abducted.
She accused cops of committing atrocities on Patidars to quell quota movement and claimed that the community is being treated as if they are not Indian citizens.
She also alleged that the sleuths of city crime branch had pressurized her landlord to drive her out of her residence.
The bench headed by Justice KS Jhaveri has scheduled further hearing on the habeas corpus petition on December 3.
Factual error
Pintuben got her facts wrong in her petition where she stated that her husband and Ketan were arrested along with Hardik Patel and Lalji Patel from outside the HC premise on October 24 immediately after a hearing on the habeas corpus petition.
Hardik was arrested in Rajkot on October 18 while he was trying to sneak into the cricket match stadium in farmer's costume and since then he has been in custody in different cases. However, Pintuben's affidavit states, "There was no reason whatsoever to demonstrate brutal force by police in arresting petitioners, Hardik Patel and Laljibhai Patel in front of the high court and before the media."