The father-son duo was presented before the court on August 25 under heightened police presence as the case has garnered national attention.
During the hearing, the prosecution lawyer opposed Tathya Patel’s plea for study materials and homemade food within the jail premises asserting that equal treatment must be provided to all inmates.
A verbal dual broke out when Tathya Patel claimed that jail authorities were barring their relatives and lawyers from visiting them. The court subsequently questioned a jail official about the allegation, which the official promptly denied, contradicting the assertions.
In a public declaration, Pragnesh Patel expressed determination to secure his release from the jail and affirmed his intent to approach both the Gujarat High Court and the Supreme Court if necessary.
Later, Tathya and Pragnesh Patel expressed their intention to engage legal representation.
Chief Public Prosecutor Praveen Trivedi pointed out the inconsistency in their statements. He highlighted the contradiction between their claim of lawyer restrictions and their subsequent plea to hire legal counsel.
Trivedi emphasised that such contradictory statements mislead the court and create false narratives.
–IANS
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