A sessions court in Surat on Thursday formally discharged Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Hardik Patel and three other Patidar leaders from a sedition case filed against them in 2015. The court accepted the Gujarat state government's application seeking to withdraw the prosecution.
Court Accepts Government's Plea
The District and Sessions Court granted relief to Hardik Patel, the former face of the Patidar reservation agitation and now the BJP MLA from Viramgam. The relief also extended to co-accused Patidar leaders Alpesh Kathiriya, Vipul Desai, and Chirag Desai. The case was originally registered at the Amroli police station in Surat in October 2015.
This development followed the state government's broader decision to withdraw cases filed against leaders of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS). Subsequently, the government pleader moved a formal application before the Surat court requesting the withdrawal of this specific prosecution.
Legal Proceedings and Allegations
Advocate Yashwantsinh Vala, representing Hardik Patel, confirmed the outcome. He stated that the court, based on the government's submission and an official notification to withdraw cases, approved the request. The government explicitly stated it did not wish to proceed with the case, a position the court accepted.
The case stemmed from an incident during the peak of the Patidar agitation. On October 3, 2015, Hardik Patel visited the residence of Vipul Desai in Surat's Mota Varachha area. Desai had earlier threatened suicide in a letter if his demands, which included action against BJP leaders and the release of mobile phones seized from arrested PAAS members, were not met.
During this visit, Hardik Patel was accused of making a provocative statement. He allegedly said, "Kill 2-5 cops but no Patel should die." After a video clip of these remarks went viral, the Surat police conducted an inquiry. Based on its findings, the then deputy commissioner of police lodged the sedition complaint.
The Surat crime branch subsequently arrested Hardik Patel from Rajkot on October 19, 2015, where he had been released on bail in a separate case. Investigators also conducted a voice spectrography test, which reportedly confirmed that the controversial remark was made by Hardik Patel.
Broader Context and Previous Relief
This is not the first sedition case against Hardik Patel to be dropped. Earlier, in March of this year, a court in Ahmedabad had also discharged him in a different sedition case. The withdrawal of these cases aligns with the state government's political reconciliation with Patidar leaders, several of whom, including Hardik Patel, have since joined the BJP.
The court's decision brings legal closure to a significant chapter of the Patidar reservation stir that had gripped Gujarat nearly a decade ago. It underscores a shift in the political landscape where former agitators are now within the ruling party's fold, leading to a reassessment of past legal battles.
