Gandhinagar: Former Patidar leader and Viramgam BJP MLA Hardik Patel has been acquitted in a five-year-old case related to offences under the Gujarat Police Act.
As per the case diary, Patel, who then spearheaded the Patidar quota agitation under the banner of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), delivered a “political” speech at a rally in Dhutarpur village of Jamnagar district on November 4, 2017.
Hardik and co-accused Ankitbhai Ghadiya were booked for obtaining police permission for conducting a social event that then allegedly saw Patel making political statements.
The court of fourth additional chief judicial magistrate Manishbhai Nandani noted that the complaint in the case was filed after a delay of nearly 70 days after the alleged incident.
In the order, Magistrate Nandani noted that the prosecution had failed to explain why the FIR was registered after nearly 70 days and who was in the possession of the CD that contained Patel’s speech.
The court also took into account that the site of the said offence was not inspected for investigation and that none of the witnesses testified to Hardik making political statements at the event.
The magistrate noted that the registration of the complaint as well as the subsequent investigation was carried out in a “mechanical” manner and there exists no evidence which proves the case beyond any doubt.
