INDORE: The state government on Tuesday defended before the high court its action of arrest of Narmada Bachao Aandolan leader Medha Patkar last year during the protest of Sardar Sarovar dam project affected families.The reply by the state was submitted on record on Tuesday before Justice Vivek Rusia who granted time to the petitioner to file reply to the state’s reply.The state government has described the circumstances on August 8, 2017 when Medha Patkar was arrested by Dhar police after she was discharged from Bombay Hospital in Indore The state said that the protest where Patkar was heading was going on for over ten days then and Patkar’s presence at the protest site could have affected public peace and order.To corroborate their statements, the reply also highlighted the cases pending against Patkar. They were registered in Barwani and Dhar concerning the protest by Sardar Sarovar Dam project affected families. The reply also included copies of the FIR lodged in districts.The state said that the NBA leader was arrested as per norms and that she had also been given an opportunity of hearing. It denied all other allegations made against them that Patkar was arrested after sunset and that she had not been given an opportunity of hearing before being arrested.Patkar was arrested by Pithampur police and produced before SDM court on August 9. The court had then issued an order sending her to judicial custody, with two conditions

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