Hardik files bail plea in High Court in Surat sedition case

Patel quota stir leader Hardik Patel, who is behind bars in two separate sedition cases, today moved the Gujarat High Court seeking bail in the first sedition case filed against him in Surat.
Surat police had filled a sedition case against the 22-year-old firebrand leader for allegedly inciting a fellow activist to kill policemen instead of committing suicide.
His bail application in the High Court came days after the Surat district and sessions court had rejected his bail plea on December 10.
In the bail application submitted before the Surat court, Hardik claimed that he has been booked under false charges by police, as mere spoken words does not amount to sedition.

The plea claimed that state government has deliberately slapped false charges on him to keep him away from the recently held local body polls across the state.
However, the bail plea was rejected by the principal district judge of Surat Geeta Gopi.

Now, Hardik has approached the High Court with same contentions.
Surat police arrested Hardik in October on the charges of sedition for allegedly inciting a fellow activist Vipul Desai 'to kill four-five policemen instead of committing suicide'.
Later, Ahmedabad crime branch also invoked sedition charge against Hardik and five of his aides through a separate FIR filed on October 21 for allegedly inciting Patel youths to resort to violence in order to destabilise the state government.

Recently, an Ambedabad sessions court here also rejected his bail plea in connection with second sedition case.
It will come up for hearing in due course.