Judge V P Agarwal held Hardik Patel, Lalji Patel and AK Patel guilty under IPC sections pertaining to rioting, damage to property and unlawful assembly.
Patidar leader Hardik Patel. (Photo: IANS/File)
A Gujarat court sentenced Patidar quota agitation leader Hardik Patel along with his aides to two years’ imprisonment in a case of rioting and arson in Visnagar town in Mehsana in 2015.
Judge V P Agarwal of the sessions court at Visnagar held Hardik Patel, Lalji Patel and AK Patel guilty under Indian Penal Code sections pertaining to rioting, arson, damage to property and unlawful assembly.
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They also have been found guilty of vandalising a BJP MLA’s office in Visnagar.
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Patel posted a video on Facebook before the verdict, appealing to his supporters to remain calm in case the verdict goes against him.
The three have been sentenced to two years in jail along with a fine of Rs 50,000 each. The court is learnt to have let off other 14 accused for lack of adequate evidence.
In 2015, the office of BJP MLA Rushikesh Patel was vandalised by a mob of around 3000 to 5000 people during the Patidar reservation protests.
Out of the all the people, only 17 people, including Hardik, were charged with arson, rioting, damage to property and unlawful assembly.
Hardik Patel was one of the accused in the FIR filed at Visnagar in Mehsana district on July 23, 2015.
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