Gujarat High Court defers Hardik Patel's habeas corpus hearing till Nov 6

Ahmedabad, Nov 5: The Gujarat High Court on Wednesday deferred the hearing on Patel quota agitation leader Hardik Patel's habeas corpus petition till Friday after his lawyers moved the Supreme Court against invoking the charge of sedition.

On October 27, the division bench of Justices M R Shah and K J Thaker had directed Patel's lawyers to file an affidavit substantiating the allegation made in the habeas corpus petition that an unidentified person who looked like a policeman had abducted him.

But Hardik's lawyers today sought more time, saying a petition was being filed in the Supreme Court against the FIR for sedition against him and they would also challenge the High Court's order to file an affidavit in the same petition.

Later in the afternoon, after hearing his lawyer Kapil Sibal, the Supreme Court bench of Justices V Gopala Gowda and Amitava Roy sent the petition to another bench. Consequently, the High Court adjourned the hearing on habeas corpus petition to Friday.

Two associates of the firebrand Patel leader filed the habeas corpus petition after Hardik went `missing' following a public meeting in Aravali district on September 22.

He surfaced on September 23 and claimed a person who looked like a policeman abducted him and warned him to stop the agitation. At present, Hardik is in a judicial custody in the sedition case.

PTI