Dhaval Patel: journalist who faced sedition for reporting that Gujarat CM Rupani may go

<p>Gujarati journalist Dhaval&nbsp;Patel feels that Vijay&nbsp;Rupanis&nbsp;resignation as chief minister is a vindication of what he had reported over a year ago.&nbsp;</p> <p>Patel, an editor with&nbsp;Gujarati news web portal Face of Nation, had written article in May 2020&nbsp;talking of a possible change of leadership in Gujarat. He was then slapped with sedition&nbsp;and sent to&nbsp;judicial custody for 14 days before being granted&nbsp;bail. The complaint against him was filed by Sub-Inspector SJ Desai, posted with the Ahmedabad Detection of Crime Branch</p> <p>While the article was taken down soon after it was posted, the FIR was quashed in November last year, only after Patel submitted an unconditional apology before the Gujarat High Court.&nbsp;</p> <p>Dhaval&nbsp;Patel, who&nbsp;shifted abroad in December 2020, told Indian Express that he now feels vindicated and he tendered an apology because he didnt want the case to drag on and affect his career. He said the sedition charge was used as a pressure tactics against journalists given the Covid-19 situation in the state that time.&nbsp;</p> <p>Patel says his article on possible leadership change in Gujarat was based on information from credible sources and cross-verification.&nbsp;</p>