Hardik Patel released on bail

After remaining in police custody for a week, Congress leader Hardik Patel was a free man on Friday as he was granted bail by two courts in different towns.

On Thursday, Patel walked out of Sabarmati Central Jail here after getting bail in a sedition case registered here in 2015.

But as soon as he came out, he was arrested by a police team from Mansa town in Gandhinagar in a 2017 case where he is accused of addressing a rally without police permission.

On Friday afternoon, a court in Mansa granted Patel bail after the police produced him before it and did not seek his custody.

The Patidar quota agitation leader was then arrested by a police team from Siddhpur town of Patan district, who were waiting outside the court premises, said an official.

Hardik is facing a case in Siddhpur for allegedly addressing a poll rally without permission during the 2017 Gujarat Assembly elections, he said.

"He was arrested because a non-bailable warrant was issued by the local court against him as he had skipped some hearings," the official said.

He was produced before Chief Judicial magistrate T H Dave who granted the Congress leader bail as Patel gave assurance that he would remain present for future court proceedings, said his lawyer, Asif Khan Pathan.

Patel, who led the 2015 quota agitation of the Patidar community, is facing 25 cases, including two for sedition.

On January 18, Patel was arrested by the crime branch of Viramgam tehsil in Ahmedabad district for failing to appear before the trial court which is hearing a sedition case against him.