Rajkot: After spending several days in custody, Kshatriya community leader P.T. Jadeja was released from Sabarmati Jail today following the Gujarat government’s decision to revoke the detention order issued against him under the Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Act (PASA). He arrived in Rajkot this evening to a ceremonial welcome by community members, including drumbeats and celebratory gatherings at his residence.
Due to poor health, Jadeja made only a brief appearance and said he had been on a hunger strike for 18 days. He added that he would speak to the media in detail after a few days of recovery.
His son, Akshit Jadeja, addressed reporters on his father’s behalf. “We are grateful to Minister Harsh Sanghavi, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, and all the Kshatriya leaders who raised their voices for justice,” he said. “It was their support that made this possible.”
The case against Jadeja stemmed from an incident on April 21, when a community-led religious event, a maha aarti, was held at the Amarnath Mahadev temple in Rajkot’s Sainagar area. A day before the event, Jadeja allegedly made a 45-minute phone call to local businessman Jasminbhai, warning him not to organize the ritual. According to the police complaint, Jadeja used abusive language and threatened, “If this aarti is performed, it will spark a bloody revolution.”
The complaint also stated that Jadeja removed banners promoting the event and brought a dog to the temple premises during the ritual, allegedly to intimidate participants. On July 5, police detained Jadeja under PASA and transferred him to Sabarmati Jail. The arrest sparked protests and petitions from Kshatriya community leaders, who demanded the revocation of the PASA order, arguing that the action was excessive and politically motivated.
Their appeals were eventually acknowledged, and the state’s Home Department withdrew the detention order, leading to Jadeja’s release.
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