Gujarat withdraws cases against Hardik: what is the status of legal battles around the Patidar quota agitation now?

Hardik posted this gratitude for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel connected X connected Friday (February 7).

गुजरात में हुए पाटीदार आंदोलन के दौरान मेरे समेत समाज के अनेक युवाओं पर लगे गंभीर राजद्रोह समेत के मुक़दमे आज भूपेंद्र भाई पटेल की सरकार ने वापिस लिए है। मैं समाज की ओर से गुजरात की भाजपा सरकार का विशेष आभार व्यक्त करता हूँ।

पाटीदार आंदोलन से गुजरात में बिन आरक्षित वर्गों के…

— Hardik Patel (@HardikPatel_) February 7, 2025

Of the astir 300 cases registered by Gujarat Police against the protesters, much than 270 present basal withdrawn.

Hardik was 22 erstwhile helium led the wide agitation demanding Other Backward Classes (OBC) presumption for the Patidar assemblage successful 2015, erstwhile Anandiben Patel, present the Governor of Uttar Pradesh, was Chief Minister. He backed the Congress successful the 2017 Assembly election, and yet joined the enactment successful 2019. In 2022, Hardik switched to the BJP.

Cases against Hardik Patel

Hardik was named arsenic an accused successful astatine slightest 30 FIRs registered betwixt 2015 and 2018.

Seven of these were registered successful 2015, accusing him of respective transgression offences specified arsenic rioting and sedition during the agitation demanding preservation for Patidars successful authorities jobs and seats successful acquisition institutions.

There were respective different cases, too. Among them:

• In August 2015, an FIR was lodged astatine Kadi constabulary presumption successful Mehsana connected a ailment by 1 Prakash Patel, who was past vice president of the Sardar Patel Group, a societal organisation, accusing Hardik of fiscal fraud.
• An FIR was registered astatine Sachin constabulary presumption successful Surat nether the Prisons Act successful 2016 pursuing the betterment of a mobile telephone charger and battery, and a missive from Hardik’s pouch erstwhile helium was being taken to Visnagar for a tribunal hearing. This lawsuit was disposed of by a Surat tribunal successful 2017.
• Rallies and protests stemming from the Patidar agitation of 2015 resulted successful FIRs against Hardik successful 2016, 2017, and 2018. Most of these FIRs were related to usurpation of the enforcement authority’s orders against unlawful assembly successful usurpation of CrPC Section 144, oregon for holding rallies oregon nationalist gatherings without permission.

Current presumption of cases

Hardik told The Indian Express connected Friday that 7 cases were inactive pending against him astatine assorted stages of trial. All these cases related to the 2015 Patidar agitation, and helium was accused of sedition successful 2 of them.

One of these 2 cases arose from an FIR registered by the Detection of Crime Branch constabulary presumption successful Ahmedabad. The proceedings is pending earlier an Ahmedabad metropolis sessions court.

The different lawsuit was successful narration to an FIR lodged astatine Amroli constabulary presumption successful Surat. This proceedings is pending earlier a sessions tribunal successful Surat.

“It volition instrumentality a week oregon much for the process to beryllium completed, but the authorities has signed the bid today, which volition past beryllium sent to the Collector and past the prosecutor’s office, whereafter the authoritative withdrawal volition beryllium reflected. There are different 9-10 cases against others progressive successful the Patidar agitation for offences specified arsenic rioting and unlawful assembly. These excessively volition beryllium withdrawn,” Hardik said.

All the remaining cases person been withdrawn by the state, oregon quashed by the Gujarat High Court. Some person been disposed of by a competent court, and nary proceedings were initiated successful the remaining cases.

© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd