Hardik Patel's plea for exemption from appearance in court allowed

Patidar quota agitation leader Hardik Patel on Wednesday sought an exemption from personal appearance in a local court in a case of vandalism, and his plea was allowed. The 24-year-old quota protagonist was to appear before the Visnagar sessions court in the district today in the 2015 case.

Hardik Patel

The convenor of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) told sessions judge V P Agarwal, through his counsel, that he is in Ahmedabad meeting lawyers in connection with the alleged "sex CD" of him appearing on social media platforms, and therefore can't appear in the court.

The court accepted his plea and fixed December 20 as the next date of hearing. Hardik Patel's absence from the court during the last hearing on October 25 for a second consecutive time had led the court to issue a non-bailable warrant against him.

The court, however, withdrew the warrant after he appeared before it a day later and assured he would remain present during future hearings. Hardik Patel and others, including Sardar Patel Group convener Lalji Patel, are accused of ransacking the office of Visnagar MLA Rishikesh Patel during a protest rally in July 2015.

The rally was organised by the Patidar community in Visnagar to demand reservation for the Patels in government jobs and education. All accused are currently out on bail. Hardik Patel is in the eye of a storm after the surfacing of 'intimate' video clips allegedly featuring him.