Hardik Patel gets two years in jail in riot case

Mehsana: A Sessions court in Mehsana district of Gujarat on Wednesday sentenced  Patidar quota agitation leader  Hardik Patel to two years in jail in a 2015 rioting and arson case. 

The court also held two of his aides - Sardar Patel group's President Lalji Patel and AK Patel guilty and awarded them two years sentence, under IPC  sections pertaining to rioting, arson and damage to property in a case which took place on July 23, 2015.Among the 17 accused ,14 were acquitted by the court for want of evidence against them. 

The court also slapped a fine of Rs 50,000 each on three of the accused, from which Rs 10,000 would be given to the complainant, and the same amount to the camera person who was manhandled by a violent mob.

From the penalty collection of Rs 1,50,000, the court also ordered Rs 1 lakh to the owner of a car torched by the mob during violence and Rs 40,000 to local BJP MLA, Rishikesh Patel, towards damage caused to his property.

Hardik Patel was one of the accused in the FIR which was filed in Mehsana district on 23 July, 2015, when a rally of  Patel community seeking  reservation turned violent, resulting in rioting, damage to property.(UNI)