The Gujarat High Court on Monday issued notice to State Government on the sedition charges against Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) activists.
The Ahmedabad Crime Branch officials have framed charges of sedition against the PAAS leaders and close aides of PAAS convener Chirag Patel, Dinesh Patel and Ketan Patel.
BM Mangukiya, advocate of the PAAS leaders has challenged the police action alleging that the Government was trying to frame them with a political motive. Admitting the writ petition challenging the PAAS leaders arrest on sedition charges, Justice J B Pardiwala issued the notice to the State Government even as he is to deliver his judgment on October 24 on a separate petition filed by PAAS convener Hardik Patel’s father seeking to quash the sedition charge pressed against him by the Surat police. The court has fixed October 29 for next hearing.
The crime branch has filed sedition cases against six PAAS leaders and taken four of them in remand alleging these pro-quota leaders had sent out inflammatory messages using their mobile phones instigating the people to indulge in violence with the objective of toppling the duly elected Government.
Meanwhile, Mangukia has also demanded to produce the order by the competent authority by which the cops had intercepted the phone calls of PAAS leaders. As per the record submitted by the Gujarat police before the metropolitan court while seeking remand of Hardik Patel, interception of Patidar leaders’ calls was started by police post PAAS rally at GMDC ground in Ahmedabad on August 25. However, the authorisation order was issued by the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) on October 3, around a month later. On that basis Mangukia termed the police action as grossly illegal and has decided to challenge in the Gujarat High Court.
In the alleged sedition case, Metropolitan Magistrate SJ Brahmbhatt has sent Hardik Patel to seven days police custody on Sunday. The court passed the order the order on an application of the probe agency seeking 14 days remand. The 22-year-old PAAS leader was produced before the magistrate at his residence. The police said that they want to know about the people behind the quota agitation and source of funding fueling the ongoing pro-quota agitation of Patidar community.