Hardik Patel will move the High Court with a fresh bail plea, his lawyer said. (File photo)
A Surat court today rejected bail application of Hardik Patel, booked for sedition during Patel quota stir, citing as grounds two FIRs registered against him during his incarceration and an additional affidavit filed by police regarding torching of a bus.
The court of Principal Sessions Judge Geeta Gopi, also maintained as strong the evidences produced by the police, and mentioned in the chargesheet filed against him in the sedition case.
Mr Patel is at present lodged at Lajpore jail in Surat under sedition charges.
The court cited two first information reports filed by police against the quota leader for allegedly receiving, bringing or removing "prohibited articles" in jail under sections 43, 44 and 45 (12) of the Prison Act.
While they did not name Mr Patel as accused in one FIR, the police said he was still under scanner as articles like mobile phone were recovered from outside his barrack. Mr Patel was named as accused in another FIR.
Surat police had filed an additional affidavit before the court on March 11 stating that members of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), of which Mr Patel is a convener, were behind the incident dated February 18 in which a mob of around 40 people put on fire a state transport bus.
The 23-year-old Patel quota leader will move the High Court with a fresh bail plea, his lawyer Yashwantsinh Vala said.
Mr Patel's bail application in another sedition case was rejected by a Ahmedabad court on March 8, following which his lawyers moved High Court on March 11.