Guj: Journalist arrested in sedition case gets bail

A journalist from Gujarat was granted bail by a court here on Wednesday in a sedition case. The accused Dhaval Patel, who is editor of a news portal, was arrested for publishing a news article purportedly claiming that Chief Minister Vijay Rupani might be replaced over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic in the state.

Sessions court judge PC Chauhan granted Patel a regular bail and said it will hear the accused's plea seeking quashing of the FIR registered against him by the city crime branch on May 8 under section 124(a) of the Indian Penal Code and the Disaster Management Act. The news item uploaded by Patel on his news portal on May 7 suggested that BJP high-command might remove Rupani from his post and replace him with Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya, as per the FIR. PTI KA PD NSK NSK