Probe begins in Hardik's 'kill 2-5 policemen' rant

SURAT: City police started an inquiry on Sunday into the controversial statement that Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) convener Hardik Patel made here a day before.
Patel was at the house of Vipul Desai, a Patidar youth, who threatened to end his life over the issue of reservation for members of his community in education and jobs, at Mota Varachha area of the city."If you have it in you, kill 2-5 policemen but no Patel will die now," he is alleged to have said to the youth.
City police have started taking statements of people who were present in the house when Patel allegedly made the statement, on the instructions of director general of police P C Thakur. Patel's statement was captured on a video camera. Police will also examine the video evidences.
"Police have started an inquiry into the matter and a report will be submitted to the director general of police soon. The inquiry is being carried out by the officials from the area concerned. Further action will be taken on the basis of the inquiry report," said C R Parmar, special commissioner of police, range-1, Surat.
Meanwhile, police sources said Desai in his statement to the police has denied Patel having ever made any such statement. However, police officials refused to give details about the statement given by Desai to them. Interestingly Desai had made a statement earlier to the media that, "Patel told me to kill cops."
Meanwhile, another controversy is now brewing in the city over the quota movement. Two youths from a community were attacked by a group under Sarthana police station limits on Friday. They were thrashed and their motorcycle torched. Police have registered a case of rioting against unidentified persons.