SC declines urgent hearing on Hardik Patel’s plea

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Hardik Patel. File

New Delhi, April 2: The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to grant urgent hearing to Patidar agitation leader Hardik Patel on his plea for stay of conviction in a 2015 rioting case.

Patel who joined the Congress last month wanted stay on his conviction to contest the Lok Sabha polls.

The matter was mentioned for urgent listing before a bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra.

The Bench also comprising Justices M M Shantanagoudar and Navin Sinha told the counsel appearing for Patel that there was no urgency in hearing the matter as the high court order was passed in August last year.

“The order was passed in August 2018. What is the urgency now?” the bench said while refusing to accord urgent hearing on the petition.

Patel, 25, had started preparations to contest from Jamnagar on a Congress ticket after joining the party on March 12 and the last date for filing of nominations is April 4. With PTI inputs