AHMEDABAD: A district court in
Visnagar town in north
Gujarat on Wednesday convicted three persons including
Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader
Hardik Patel,
Sardar Patel Group (APG) chief
Lalji Patel guilty of rioting and vandalizing an office of BJP MLA Rishikesh Patel during a rally on July 23, 2015, and awarded two-year jail term to them.
The court has acquitted 14 persons for want of evidence in this case.
Hardik, Lalji and the third convict A K Patel were held guilty under sections 147, 148, 149, 427 and 435 of the
Indian Penal Code for rioting, unlawful assembly, damaging property and for causing mischief by fire.
After recording conviction, additional sessions judge V P Agrawal granted bail for one month to the convicts at furnishing bail bond of Rs 15,000 so that they could approached the high court against their conviction. The court said that in case the convicts fail to secure any order from the high court, they would have to surrender themselves to judicial custody.
The rally in Visnagar was the first major gathering by the Patidars to agitate their demand for reservation for the community in government jobs and education. The incident of violence was reported, and an FIR was registered for vandalizing the MLA’s office.
The court has imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on each of the convicts, which they paid immediately in the court.
The court has also ordered the convicts to pay Rs 40,000 to the BJP MLA for causing damage to property, Rs 1 lakh to a person whose car got damaged in this incident.
Hardik Patel
