Gujarat High Court Friday granted a conditional bail to Patidar leader Hardik Patel. The high court asked him to remain outside Gujarat for at least six months. He will, however, continue to remain in jail because of another case against him, says Patel’s lawyer Zubin Bharda.
There are cases against him in Visnagar, Padadhari and other places, besides a sedition case registered in Ahmedabad. He got bail on Friday in the Surat sedition case.
In the last hearing, Hardik Patel gave an undertaking to the High Court that he was ready to be away from the state for six months if granted bail in two sedition cases filed in Surat and Ahmedabad.
In October, Patel was booked under charges of sedition for allegedly asking his patidar followers to “kill two-five policemen”. His arrest was followed by arson and violence by supporters in parts of Gujarat.
As a consequence of the agitation, in April, the Gujarat government announced a 10% reservation for the poor among the upper castes. Mr. Patel, who wielded a sword at public meetings that drew huge audiences, said the Patidars must be entitled to reserved government jobs and seats in colleges. Though the community was traditionally rich, it prospered from diamond trading and farming, sectors whose returns have greatly diminished in recent years.
