Ahmedabad

The Gujarat High Court today issued notice to the state government on a petition filed before it challenging the leveling of sedition charges against Patidar leader Hardik Patel, who is currently in police custody in connection with the case filed in Amroli police station of Surat for his alleged advice to a youth of his community to kill policemen rather than committing suicide.

The court fixed October 23 as the next date of hearing.

The court of Justice J B Pardiwala issued notice to the state government after hearing the matter today. It also asked the government counsel Mitesh Amin to explain as to how the act of the Patidar leader amounted to sedition.

The plea demanding quashing of the case was filed by advocate B M Mangukiya yesterday on behalf of Hardik, the convener of Patidar Anamat Aandolan Samiti, the outfit running agitation for inclusion of Patel or Patidar community in OBC list for reservation benefits.

Mr. Mangukiya pleaded before the court that the case was filed due to political animosity and ill will.

The case of sedition under Section 124 A of IPC has been filed against Hardik by Deputy Commissioner of Police Makrand Chauhan in the Amroli police station of Surat. He is also alleged of offences under section 115, 153-A, 505-2, 506 of the IPC in the case.

The case has been filed for having advised his supporter Vipul Desai to ”kill 2 or 5 policemen” instead of committing suicide in Surat on October 3. Hardik had made this inflammatory appeal to Desai when he had gone to meet him in the wake of his threat to commit suicide to press for the demand of reservation in jobs and education for the upper caste Patels on par with the OBCs.

The video showing Hardik make this controversial appeal to the Patel youth was widely circulated in social media.

He was nabbed by the Surat police from Rajkot on October 19 and produced before a court in Surat yesterday which allowed his police remand till October 23.

– DeshGujarat