Hardik Patel asks his lawyer Mangukiya not to fight his cases

Ahmedabad, Jan 3: Patel quota stir leader Hardik Patel, who is behind bars in two different sedition cases, has barred his lawyer and Congress leader B M Mangukiya from fighting any of his cases from now onwards.

In a letter sent to Mangukiya from Surat jail, where the 22-year-old firebrand leader is lodged at present, he told Mangukiya that he has appointed Rafik Lokhandwala and Zubin Bharada as his new lawyers to fight all his cases.

Mangukiya has been fighting Hardik's cases since beginning and remained by his side all this time. In the letter, Hardik asked him not to appear on his behalf for the upcoming hearing on his bail plea in the Gujarat High Court on January 6.

He asked Mangukiya not to fight any of his cases pending in local courts, High Court and the Supreme Court from now onwards and to handover all the cases to his new lawyers after taking dates in the next hearings.

According to Hardik's father Bharatbhai Patel, Hardik was unhappy with Mangukiya's performance. "Mangukiya used to claim that he will bring Hardik out of jail within weeks. But, Hardik is still behind bars. Thus, Hardik has decided to change his lawyer," said Bharatbhai.

PTI