Hardik Patel, aides get two-year jail term in Visnagar rioting case

KalingaTV News Network

Gandhinagar: Patidar leader Hardik Patel and two of his aides have been sentenced to two years in jail after the Visnagar sessions court found him guilty on Wednesday in a three-year-old rioting case.

While pronouncing the judgement, Judge VP Agarwal held Patel and his two aides- Lalji Patel and AK Patel – guilty under the Indian Penal Code sections pertaining to rioting, arson, damage to property and unlawful assembly during 2015 Patidar protests in Visnagar.

The three accused have been fined Rs. 50,000 apart from the two-year imprisonment. On the other hand, the other 14 accused were let off by the court for want of enough evidence against them.

Hardik was named in the FIR lodged in July 2015 when a rally of the Patel community seeking reservation turned violent, resulting in damage to property and assault on some media persons. As many as 17 persons were accused of being part of a group of around 500 people from the Patel community which vandalised the office of a BJP legislator Rishikesh Pate in Visnagar town of Mehsana district.

The incident took place when the Patel agitation demanding job reservation was at its peak.

Hardik’s Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti has been protesting seeking reservation for the Patel community under Other Backward Classes in Gujarat for reservation in government jobs and education.