Patel quota row: Crime branch records statement of police officers during lathi charge on Hardik Patel, protestors

The city crime branch on Friday recorded the statements of senior police officials present during the lathi charge at the Patel quota rally at GMDC ground on August 25 in order to find out the exact situation at that time. "We called some senior police officials, including some IPS officials, to the crime branch office and recorded their statements. These officers are those who were on duty at GMDC ground on August 25," Crime Branch DCP Deepan Bhadran said.

Sources confirmed that four IPS officers and five other DySP rank police officials were called to the crime branch office to give their statements. After police action against Patel community members seeking reservation under the OBC quota at GMDC ground, where convener of Patidar Ananmat Andolan Samiti Hardik Patel sat on a hunger strike after a mega Patel rally on August 25, violence broke out across Gujarat in which ten people died.

Later, police commissioner Shivanand Jha handed over the probe to the city crime branch to find out what exactly happened and what were the circumstances under which the police allegedly resorted to while detaining Hardik.