Hardik Patel arrested for not appearing before trial court in sedition case

Ahmedabad: Congress leader Hardik Patel was arrested on Saturday (January 18) for failing to appear before a trial court here in a sedition case. He was arrested near Viramgam in Ahmedabad and has been sent to judicial custody till January 24.

A court in Ahmedabad had issued a non-bailable warrant against Patel in the sedition case and had asked him to appear before it on January 24. However, he was arrested by the Gujarat Police ahead of the hearing. According to a report, the court issued the non-bailable warrant against Patel after he failed to remain present during a trial of the sedition case. Patel had earlier filed an application seeking exemption from personal appearance in the court on the matter, which was objected by the government lawyer.

DCP Ahmedabad Crime Branch Dipen Bhadran confirmed the arrest of Patel. "We have arrested Hardik Patel from near Viramgam after the court issued a non-bailable warrant against him. We will produce him before the court tomorrow," he said on Saturday.

Patel had been previously arrested in connection with the sedition case filed by the local Crime Branch after violence broke out during a rally by the Patel community in Ahmedabad on August 25, 2015.

Patel had joined the Congress ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha election.