Hardik Patel moves Gujarat HC for bail in Surat sedition case

Jailed Patel quota agitation leader Hardik Patel on Thursday moved the Gujarat High Court seeking bail in the sedition case filed against him here by the city crime branch in October. Hardik is also facing a sedition case in Surat.

He and his two aides have challenged the December 11 order of the Ahmedabad sessions court rejecting their bail applications.

The sessions court refused bail to Hardik, his aides Chirag Patel and Dinesh Bambhaniya, saying that they may resort to similar unlawful activities and disturb the law and order in the state if released.

Ahmedabad police's crime branch had registered a case against Hardik and five of his key aides under the Indian Penal Code sections 121 (waging war against government), 124 (sedition), 153-A (promoting enmity between communities) and 153-B (assertions prejudicial to national integrity). The High Court subsequently quashed sections 121, 153-A and 153-B from the FIR, but retained the sedition charge.

On Wednesday, Hardik filed bail application in the High Court in the Surat case after the sessions court in Surat rejected his bail plea on December 10. Surat police has booked him for sedition for allegedly inciting a fellow activist to kill policemen instead of committing suicide. Both the applications would come up for hearing in due course.