8 PAAS members held for celebratory firing

AHMEDABAD: Viramgam police arrested eight PAAS members in a case of firing. The incident had taken place a month ago, at the wedding of PAAS convener Hardik Patel’s cousin in Chandranagar village of Viramgam taluka. Police are also probing Hardik’s role, as he was seen in the video which went viral on social media.
Cops said the twelve-gauge shotgun seen in the video belongs to Hardik Patel’s father Bharat Patel.“Bharat Patel is likely to be arrested as the licenced gun belongs to him. The other weapon used seems to be a revolver. Jayendra Patel, alias Bhurio, is seen handling the revolver. However, he says he doesn’t own a weapon,” said a senior police official. Bharat Patel told TOI that the boys had taken his gun to click photographs.
“Not a single shot was fired from the gun. The allegations are baseless,” Patel claimed. Police have till now arrested eight accused — Brijesh Patel of Rajkot, Hardik’s uncle Vipul Patel of Vastral, Atul Patel of Vastral, Jayendra Patel and Vijay Mukhi of Viramgam, Ravi Patel of Surat, Hemang Patel of Rajkot and Lalo alias Pragnesh Patel of Sola.
Hardik Patel, known as ‘Chhota Hardik’, had submitted an application of complaint with Viramgam police that Hardik Patel and other PAAS members were involved in celebratory firing at a wedding in Chandranagar village in February 2017.
Viramgam police, after primary investigation, lodged an offence against the accused named in the application and have now arrested eight of them.