Ahmedabad, November 20: The sessions court in Ahmedabad today framed charges in a sedition case dating back to 2015 against Hardik Patel who led an agitation seeking reservation for his community. Along with Patel two of his colleagues were also named in the case. The charges were framed under Sections 124(A) (sedition) and 120(b) (criminal conspiracy). The court framed the charges while reading out an 18-page chargesheet filed by the Ahmedabad crime branch. According to a report published in Hindustan Times, Patel and his colleagues have also been accused of inciting violence to pressurise the government. Hardik Patel Features in Gujarat Clerical Exam Question Paper, Candidates Asked 'Who Offered Him Water to End Fast'

After coming out of the court, Patel said that he would go to a higher court if needed. The Patidar leader also stated that he had no faith in the Ahmedabad crime branch. “Its (Crime branch) head JK Bhatt is facing corruption charges. Previously, Abhay Chudasama and DG Vanzara also faced cases. So how can one have trust in this crime branch,” reported Hindustan Times quoting Hardik Patel as saying. The Patidar leader produced himself in the court as the court earlier, rejected his lawyer’s application for exempting Patel from the hearing.

There are two sedition cases framed against the 24-year-old leader. In today’s case, Patel has been accused of instigating the youths to vandalise public property during the August 25, 2015, rally. In the violent protests, 13 people lost their lives and around Rs 44 crore was damaged across Gujarat. The second sedition case was registered against him in Surat. He also served a jail term for nine months in October 2015. Later, he was exiled from the state for another six months by the court.

Patel also went for an indefinite hunger strike in August this year to press for his demand for reservations to the Patidars, loan waiver for farmers and release of his aide Alpesh Kathiria. His fast lasted for 19 days. As a mark of solidarity, a large number of people from the Patidar community took out a march from Patan to Unjha, a distance of 30 km, in the Patidar-dominated Mehsana district in north Gujarat in support of Hardik Patel.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 20, 2018 04:18 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).