The Gujarat High Court issued notices to the state government and police on Patel quota agitation leader Hardik Patel’s bail plea in a sedition case filed against him by the city crime branch on Monday.
Justice A J Desai issued the notices and kept the next hearing on January 6. Hardik is at present behind the bars in two separate sedition cases.
This particular bail plea was in reference to the second sedition case filed against him and five others by the city crime branch. Hardik and his aides were charged with inciting people to resort to violence during the quota agitation.
The bail plea says that the sedition charges against Hardik are politically motivated. The plea also mentions that charging Hardik and other Patel quota agitation leaders with sedition was an attempt by the state government to suppress a legitimate agitation for reservation.
When the court proceedings began on Monday, the high court faced a dilemma as two bail applications were filed in the same sedition case. While one application was filed by his old lawyer B M Mangukia, the other one was filed by lawyers Rafiq Lokhandwala and Zubin Bharda.
However, Hardik’s family members said they have appointed new lawyers, after which Mangukia withdrew the plea filed by him.
Hardik has filed an application in the high court seeking bail in the first sedition case filed against him in Surat. The sessions court in Surat had also rejected his bail plea on December 10.
Surat police booked him under sedition charge for allegedly inciting a fellow activist to kill policemen instead of committing suicide.
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