Gujarat Govt Opposes Hardik Patel's Plea For Relief In Bail Condition Barring Him from Leaving State

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat government has opposed Congress leader Hardik Patel’s application filed in a sessions court here seeking temporary suspension of his bail condition that restricts him from leaving the state. Patel, who is the working president of the Gujarat Congress unit, was arrested in January this year for failing to appear before the trial court in a 2015 sedition case.

He was later granted bail by additional sessions judge B J Ganatra with a condition that he needs to seek prior approval of the court before leaving the state. Patel last week moved the plea before judge Ganatra, seeking suspension of the bail condition for 12 weeks on the ground that he has to frequently travel outside Gujarat to fulfil his obligation as the state Congress working president.

Patel also said he needs to brief his lawyers in the Supreme Court regarding four cases filed by him in the apex court that are likely to be listed soon. However, the investigating officer in the case, cyber crime police inspector R J Chaudhary, moved an application in the sessions court on Tuesday, opposing Patel’s plea on various grounds.

In his application, Chaudhary said Patel has breached bail conditions imposed by the Gujarat High Court and trial court on several occasions, has not informed the police about the change in his address, and has remained absent from hearing in the sedition case on 61 occasions, among others. The sessions court had earlier rejected his plea seeking modification of the same bail condition.

Patel was arrested by Ahmedabad crime branch in January after he skipped several court proceedings in the sedition case. The Ahmedabad crime branch had booked Patel in a case of sedition in connection with the violence which broke out in many parts of Gujarat following a rally for Patidar quota here on August 25, 2015.

Patel had led the agitation for quota for the Patidar/Patel community. The Gujarat High Court granted him bail in that case in July 2016.

In November 2018, the trial court framed charges against him and others. Patel joined the Congress ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor