Warrant issued against Hardik Patel for non-appearance in court

Patel quota agitation leader Hardik Patel. (File photo)

A court here today issued a bailable warrant against Patel quota agitation leader Hardik Patel for not appearing before it for the second time. The court was going to frame charges against Hardik in a sedition case registered against him in the city. Principal sessions judge Geeta Gopi issued the bailable warrant against Hardik. Hardik’s lawyer Yashwantsinh Vala said he could not come to Surat because he had to appear at Padhadhari court in Rajkot district in another case. However, prosecutor Nayan Sukhadwala urged the court to issue a warrant, saying the Patel quota leader had played truant on Wednesday too, and had been ordered to appear today.

Hardik will now have to deposit Rs 5,000 at the nearest police station and get bail, his lawyer said.

The next date of hearing is March 10.

Hardik, currently out on bail, was arrested by Surat police in October 2015 for ‘sedition’ for allegedly asking a fellow activist to kill the police instead of committing suicide.

He is facing a sedition case in Ahmedabad too.