Surat court issues warrant against Hardik Patel for non-appearance

Ahmedabad: A court in Surat issued an arrest warrant against Patidar quota agitation leader Hardik Patel for not appearing for the hearing of a sedition case against him on Saturday.

District judge Geeta Gopi issued a bailable arrest warrant against Hardik after he failed to appear for the consecutive second time.

His lawyer Yashwant Vala said Hardik could not come because he was busy meeting members of the Patel community in Ahmedabad after a programme, scheduled for today, could not be held.

Bright students from the community were to be felicitated at the programme, but it had to be cancelled at the last moment, he said, seeking exemption for his client.

Government pleader Nayan Sukhadwala pressed for a warrant against Hardik, pointing out that the Patel leader had failed to appear before the court for a second time.

The court issued a bailable warrant against him, posting the matter for hearing to September 4.

The court had rejected Hardik's discharge application in the case on June 30.

The Surat police registered a case of sedition under the Indian Penal Code against Hardik in 2015 after he allegedly exhorted a fellow activist to "kill policemen instead of committing suicide".

Ahmedabad police too registered a sedition case against him and five others for allegedly inciting Patel youths to resort to violence, in order to destabilise the government.
Hardik is currently out on bail.