The Gujarat High Court refused to drop charges against Hardik Patel for sedition and conspiracy to wage war against government, which attract punishment of life imprisonment or up to 10 years.
In partial relief to Patel quota agitation leader Hardik Patel, the Gujarat High Court today dropped treason charges against him but declined to quash the sedition charge that is punishable with up to a life term.
Justice J B Pardiwala, after hearing the arguments, ordered the removal of three sections, punishable by death, in the First Information Report against Hardik and five of his close aides.
The court, however, refused to drop charges for sedition and conspiracy to wage war against government, which attract punishment of life imprisonment or up to 10 years.
In October, the city Crime Branch had lodged and First Information Report against 22-year-old Hardik and five of his close aides under charges of sedition and waging war against the government. Later, Hardik, Chirag Patel, Dinesh Bambhaniya and Ketan Patel were arrested. They are currently in jail.
Two other aides of Hardik - Amrish Patel and Alpesh Kathiriya - were not arrested as the High Court had granted them interim protection.
In another development, the High Court today extended their interim relief from arrest for another 15 days. This was the second sedition complaint against Hardik after he was booked under the same charge by Surat Police.
In November, Hardik and others moved the High Court to set aside the First Information Report against them, claiming that their protest to seek reservation for Patel community does not amount to "sedition or waging war against government".
During the arguments on November 2, public prosecutor Mitesh Amin had strongly defended the stand of Crime Branch for slapping stringent charges against the Patel leaders, stating that the FIR is based on the call interceptions made by it.