Mahesana:

A local court in Visnagar town of Mahesana district today held guilty PAAS leader Hardik Patel, Sardar Patel Group president Lalji Patel and another patidar quota agitation activist A K Patel in the case pertaining to attack on the office of the then BJP MLA Rishikesh Patel in July 2015. Convicts were present in the court today.

The court acquitted other 14 accused.

The three held guilty have been convicted for the offence of rioting only under sections 147, 148, 149, 427 and 435.

IPC 147: Punishment for rioting.—Whoever is guilty of rioting, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.

IPC 148: Rioting, armed with deadly weapon.—Whoever is guilty of rioting, being armed with a deadly weapon or with anything which, used as a weapon of offence, is likely to cause death, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.

IPC 149: Every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence commit­ted in prosecution of common object.—If an offence is committed by any member of an unlawful assembly in prosecution of the common object of that assembly, or such as the members of that assembly knew to be likely to be committed in prosecution of that object, every person who, at the time of the committing of that offence, is a member of the same assembly, is guilty of that offence.

IPC 427: Mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees.—Whoever commits mischief and thereby causes loss or damage to the amount of fifty rupees or upwards, shall be punished with impris­onment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.

IPC 435: Mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage to amount of one hundred or (in case of agricultural produce) ten rupees.—Whoever commits mischief by fire or any explosive substance intending to cause, or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby cause, damage to any property to the amount of one hundred rupees or upwards 1[or (where the property is agricultural produce) ten rupees or upwards], shall be pun­ished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine.

‘Three convicts are given simple imprisonment of two years and Rs 50,000 fine to each.They are Hardik Patel, Lalji Patel and AK Patel. Complainant TV journalist Suresh Vanol will be given Rs 10,000, Babuji Thakor whose car was burnt will be given Rs 1 lakh and Visnagar MLA whose office was ransacked will be given Rs 40,000 compensation from the amount of fine,’ said a prosecutor speaking to media persons.

Sessions court at Visnagar directed Hardik and other convicts to approach the High Court before August 27 to file appeal against the verdict. If the convicts fail to approach the High Court within one month and if they do not get bail, they will have to surrender before the Visnagar court. Hardik and other two convicts were granted conditional bail for the bond of Rs 15,000.

With this, Hardik Patel will not be able to contest for the election unless Visnagar court sentence itself is quashed or stayed by higher court.

Police had filed a chargesheet against Hardik Patel and 16 others in March 2016 in the case.

Police had pressed the charges under sections 337 (causing hurt by endangering life or personal safety), 394 (causing hurt while committing robbery), 427 (causing damage to property) and 435 (using fire or explosives to cause damage) of Indian Penal Code and also under Gujarat Police Act against him and others.

They are accused of being part of a group of around 500 youths from the Patel community which vandalised the office of the BJP legislator, attacked journalists, and rioted on July 23, 2015.

“The group attacked a journalist who was recording the incident, broke video camera and injured him. They also looted a mobile phone worth Rs. 10,000 and set a car on fire,” the chargesheet says.

Reacting to the verdict, Gujarat BJP spokesperson Bharat Pandya said, the court verdict in relation to a violent incident must not be seen in political colours. Court is independent. All need to have faith in court. Those for whom the verdict is unacceptable can challenge it in higher court. None should make attempt to spread violence, disturbance and animosity with political ill-motive and mislead the State. The people of Gujarat believe in non-violence, unity, love and peace. It is duty of everone to ensure that this identity of Gujarat is not damaged.
 

Pictures from Visnagar town dated 23rd July 2015 showcasing arson, blood, rioting, attack, violence, the crimes for which the local court in its verdict today termed Hardik Patel as criminal and gave 2-year jail

A TV journalist attacked and thrashed after placed on road divider, was one of complainants. His camera was also broken. A car of another person was torched. MLA office was ransacked on 23-7-2015 Visnagar court has today asked Hardik Patel and other convicts to pay compensation

DeshGujarat