Hardik Patel not ill-treated in jail, his food not adulterated: Cops

Ahmedabad, March 8: Police today "rejected" the charges made by incarcerated Patel quota stir spearhead Hardik Patel that he was being "ill-treated" by authorities in Lajpore jail in Surat and that the food being served to him in the prison was "adulterated".

Surat Police, after conducting an inquiry into the charges made by Hardik last month, today said in a statement that they did not find any "proof" in the claims made by him.

"Hardik was placed alone in barrack no. 1 of Lajpore Jail, but on his submission that he did not like to stay alone, the jail authorities placed two watchmen to guard, keeping his safety in mind. Police did not find any evidence of his being tortured, as claimed by him," police said in the statement.

"When the prisoner gets food from home, the jail authorities issue ID-card to the person, who brings food. The tiffin is further examined before being sent to the prisoner in order to ensure that no banned object finds its way inside the barrack. The process is monitored on CCTV camera. "In Hardik's case, his cousin Ravibhai Maheshbhai himself brought tiffin for him, which went through regular process. So there is no question of the food being adulterated before reaching him, and the claim finds no ground," it added.

Hardik, who is presently lodged in Lajpore prison on sedition charges, had written to the jail authorities on February 17 complaining about the food that he was receiving in his barrack was being "adulterated."

Following this, the state Director General of Police (DGP) P C Thakur had directed the Surat police to investigate the matter.

PTI