Gujarat: Sessions court allows withdrawal of rioting-trespass case against Hardik

A sessions court here on Monday allowed withdrawal of a rioting and trespassing case against Congress leader Hardik Patel on a plea moved by the Gujarat government.

The state government had filed a revision petition in the sessions court after the metropolitan court on April 25 rejected its plea seeking withdrawal of the 2017 case against Patel, who is working president of Gujarat Congress, and 20 others.

Additional Sessions Judge Prashant Raval allowed the government's plea and said the case is not serious enough for a court to refuse its withdrawal. It said the court has allowed withdrawal of several such cases related to the Patidar quota agitation.

The state government had recently said it has started the process to withdraw cases registered against quota agitators.

Hardik Patel, who was the convener of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti at the time, and 20 others, were booked by Ramol police here in March 2017 for allegedly creating ruckus outside then BJP corporator Paresh Patel's house in Vastral.

They were charged under IPC sections 147 (rioting), 142, 143, 149 (unlawful assembly), 435 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage), 452 (house-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint) and 120 (criminal conspiracy).

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