Big jolt for Hardik Patel as SC rejects urgent hearing, set to get barred from contesting 2019 polls

Supreme Court declines urgent hearing of Patidar leader Hardik Patel's plea seeking a suspension of his conviction in a 2015 case relating to rioting, so that he can contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. (file pic) pic.twitter.com/5AMtzD3SqC

— ANI (@ANI) April 2, 2019

News agency ANI tweeted informing the back story, “Lower court at Mehsana, Gujarat had sentenced him to 2 yrs' imprisonment in July last yr, for rioting & arson in 2015, during the Patidar quota protests. He had then approached Gujarat HC seeking suspension of his conviction so he can contest elections, but his plea was rejected.”

Earlier, the Gujarat High Court had rejected Congress leader Hardik Patel's plea seeking suspension of his conviction in a rioting case of 2015 in Mehsana. Now, as per the Representation of the People Act, 1951, Hardik Patel won't be able to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha Election due to his conviction.

In the Visnagar rioting case, a rally was organised on July 22, 2015, wherein the Patidar community was on road demanding reservation in jobs and education and a two-year long agitation ended with the mob overtaking the office of BJP MLA Rishikesh Patel.

The Visnagar court had then held three people guilty, including Hardik Patel, of rioting on July 25, 2018.

Earlier, Hardik Patel had served nine months jail in two sedition cases filed against him. He was in Surat’s Lajpore jail for nine months and thereafter six months in exile, after the Gujarat High Court had barred from entering the state.

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