Ahmedabad: A local court on Tuesday allowed state govt to withdraw a criminal case registered against Hardik Patel, BJP MLA and former Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) convener, and six others “in the interest of justice”.State govt has withdrawn several other criminal cases against Patel in the past. In this case, Nikol police filed an FIR against him on Aug 19, 2018, when he took to a one-day symbolic fast demanding OBC quota for the Patidars and farmer debt waivers. Six other PAAS leaders, including Gita Patel and Sandip Patel, were detained that day, and an FIR was filed against them for unlawful assembly, rioting, criminal intimidation, criminal conspiracy and obstructing police from performing their duty. The programme was held without police permission. A chargesheet was also filed in this case, and a criminal case was instituted in a JMFC court at the rural court.Eight years later, govt decided to withdraw the case, and the public prosecutor filed an application requesting the court to grant permission under Section 321 of the CrPC to withdraw the criminal case. The prosecutor also submitted that the decision to withdraw the prosecution was taken at the state govt level, and the district collector informed the public prosecutor’s office about this on April 6.On govt’s application, JMFC G B Siag said, “It is evident that the State has taken a conscious decision in the larger public interest to withdraw the prosecution. The prosecution’s specific submission that the incident did not result in physical or financial harm to any individual and that the withdrawal aims to foster peace and social 3/4 harmony without prejudicing any party. This court finds no mala fide intention in the application, and the grounds of maintaining public peace and social 3/4 harmony satisfy the requirements for withdrawal in the interest of justice. (sic)”