Sedition case: Bailable warrant issued against Hardik Patel

A sessions court here today issued a bailable warrant against Patidar quota agitation leader Hardik Patel for not being present during the proceedings of framing of charges against him and others in a sedition case.

Judge D P Mahida issued the warrant and posted the matter for April 25 for hearing on the framing of charges.

In February this year, the court had rejected Patel's discharge application.

A case of sedition was registered against Patel by the Ahmedabad crime branch following violence during the agitation for OBC quota for the Patidar community in August 2015.

Patel and others are accused of inciting violence with the intention to dislodge the government after a rally addressed by him turned violent in August 2015. At least 13 people died in the violence.

Of the six accused in the FIR, two are yet to be arrested, while another person, Ketan Patel, has turned a prosecution witness. Hardik Patel, Dinesh Bambhaniya and Chirag Patel were arrested and got bail.

Chirag Patel was also absent during today's proceedings, while Bambhaniya remained present.

In the charge sheet, the police termed the agitation spearheaded by Patel as a "pre-planned conspiracy", meant to put pressure on the state government to accept their "unconstitutional demand of quota".