A newly married couple was arrested along with their seven family members in Valsad early Tuesday for allegedly violating the night curfew when returning from wedding rituals.
Surat Range IG Rajkumar Pandian has ordered an investigation into the police personnel involved in the incident.
The couple – Piyush Patel, 24, and Sonal Patel, 24 – and their family members were released on bail an hour later.
At 12.30pm Tuesday, Valsad City Police Inspector VH Jadeja was on night patrol with his teams when they stopped three cars in which a couple and others were traveling. Police took her to Valsad City Police Station and arrested her under IPC sections 188 (disobeying police orders) and 269 (negligence of a negligent act that could spread the infection).
The seven arrested were Rajesh Patel aka Raju Marcha, Councilor and Former President of Valsad Municipality, Amit Patel, his wife Meera Patel, former Councilor of Valsad Municipality, Dixita Patel, Ilaben Patel, Manoj Patel and Vikash Patel, Councilor of Valsad Municipality residents of Tariyawad in Valsad.
On Tuesday afternoon, Rajesh Patel wrote a letter to the state’s home secretary, Harsh Sanghavi and Sur7at Range IGP Rajkumar Pandian, urging them to take action against Valsad city police station officers for their “inhumane behaviour”.
Rajesh Patel said: “The wedding date was set a month ago and the night curfew notification came into effect a few days ago… We have asked the police to allow the couple to go home, which they have refused. “
Surat Range IGP Rajkumar Pandian told The Indian Express: “We have opened an investigation into the incident and will take action against the police officers.”
