Surat police file chargesheet against Hardik in sedition case

The police on Friday filed a chargesheet in a local court against Patel quota spearhead Hardik Patel for sedition and other charges.

The 370-page chargesheet was submitted before Judicial Magistrate JB Rathod of the Surat district court on recent directions of the Supreme Court. The Gujarat government had contended before the SC on January 5 that Hardik may secure bail if it is not allowed to file the chargesheet by Friday.

Hardik, 22, convener of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), has been charged with Sections 124-A (sedition), 115 (abetment of offence) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) of IPC. 

The maximum sentence under sedition charge is life imprisonment, while the minimum punishment is three years.

Apart from the chargesheet, documents running into over 600 pages, containing call data records (CDR) and other material, were also submitted to the court, said public prosecutor Nayan Sukhadwala.

The case of sedition was filed against Hardik at Amroli police station here in October last year for his allegedly controversial remarks instigating a youth of his community to kill police personnel instead of committing suicide, against the backdrop of the Patel quota agitation.