Supreme Court Grants Bail to BJP Leader Hardik Patel in 2015 Patidar Agitation Case

On Friday, the Supreme Court granted bail to BJP leader Hardik Patel in connection with a case of rioting, violence and arson registered against him during the 2015 Patidar agitation in Gujarat.

The order was passed by a bench of Justices AS Bopanna and Hima Kohli, making absolute an earlier interim order granting relief to Patel.

The Patidar agitation was a protest in Gujarat seeking reservation for the Patidar community. In February 2020, the Supreme Court had granted interim protection from arrest to Patel, who was then a leader of the Congress party. He had approached the apex court against a decision of the Gujarat High Court denying him anticipatory bail in the 2015 case.

Patel was initially convicted by a lower Court in Mehsana, and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment. He had then approached the Gujarat High Court seeking suspension of his conviction so that he could contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. 

This plea was, however, rejected by the High Court. Subsequently, he moved the Supreme Court in appeal against this order, which stayed his conviction in April last year.

The Supreme Court’s order granting bail to Hardik Patel in the 2015 case of rioting, violence and arson is a significant development in the Patidar agitation. The order will help ensure that Patel is able to move freely and participate in political activities without any fear of arrest. It also serves as a reminder of the importance of the rule of law and the protection of fundamental rights.