Ahmedabad: A day after 'missing' Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) convenor Hardik Patel surfaced under mysterious circumstances, he will appear before Gujarat High Court on Wednesday.


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The Patel quota agitation leader, who went 'missing' after giving a slip to police on Tuesday, surfaced under mysterious circumstances on Wednesday at a highway passing from Dhrangadhra town in Surendranagar district of Gujarat, claiming that he was abducted.


According to Patel leaders, Hardik called them at around noon and asked them to pick him up from the highway.


After being 'found', Hardik claimed that he had been "abducted" by people with weapons. "Some persons chased my car near Bayad (in Aravalli district)... Then I was picked up by some persons.. After that I was made to sit in a car for the entire night," Hardik told reporters.


The Gujarat High Court yesterday directed the state government to find Hardik Patel after an aide moved a habeas corpus petition alleging that he had been illegally detained by police.


However, police had maintained that he was not detained by them. Hardik on Tuesday organised a public meeting in Bayad taluka of Aravali district allegedly without prior permission. After the meeting, police tried to detain him but according to IG Hasmukh Patel, he managed to evade them.


Police later registered an FIR against Hardik and 20 others for violating prohibitory orders. Hardik is leading an agitation for inclusion of Patel community in OBC category for reservation.