Ahmedabad: Challenging Hardik Patel's abduction claims, the state government on Thursday told the Gujarat High Court that the Patel agitation spearhead's close aides were in constant touch with the young leader when he allegedly went missing last month.

After the state government filed its affidavit before the Gujarat High Court, division bench comprising justices M R Shah and K J Thaker directed Hardik's advocate to file an affidavit by October 19 to substantiate claims made in the petition about his alleged abduction by 'police-like persons'.