He becomes first-ever sitting minister from Guj to be convicted.
In a huge embarrassment to the Narendra Modi government, its senior cabinet minister Babu Bokhiria has been convicted in a Rs54-crore limestone theft case along with three others. Incidentally, Bokhiria is said to be the first sitting minister ever to be convicted in a court of law in the history of Gujarat.
Bokhiria, former BJP MP Bharat Odedara, strongman Bhima Dula Odedara and his son Laxman have been sentenced to three years’ imprisonment. Babu Bokhiria won the last assembly election by defeating state Congress president and sitting MLA, Arjun Modhwadia. He was then inducted as water supply and water resources minister.
The order was passed by judicial magistrate PV Pandya on Saturday in the presence of all the four accused. They were sentenced to three years’ imprisonment with a fine of Rs5,000 under sections 379 (theft) and 114 (abetment) of IPC. However, the four were granted seven days’ bail.
“I will file an appeal before the appellate court against the court order,” Bokhiria told mediapersons after coming out of the court. Replying to a query about his resignation as minister, he said: “I will follow whatever decision is taken by the party and the government.”
One Umesh Bhavasar, manager of Saurashtra Chemicals, had lodged a complaint against the four for illegal excavation of limestone worth Rs54 crore from a mine owned by the company at Zinzarka village in Porbandar on October 3, 2006. The company has been taken over by Nirma Limited since.
“Babu Bokhiria and the three others were convicted after labourers, who were caught from the mine, had stated before the then collector that they had been working at the behest of Babu Bokhiria and three others,” said V H Kanara, a lawyer as well a Congress leader connected with the case.
“There is ample evidence to prove their complicity. One of the accused had even filed an application before the court to take back the limestone articles seized by the police. Hence their involvement has been proved beyond doubt,” said Kanara.
Congress-turned-BJP leader Bharat Odedara’s wife Shanta fought the 2007 assembly election against Arjun Modhwadia and lost. Lakshman Dula Odedara is chairman of the Porbandar market yard while his father and alleged gangster Bhima Dula is in jail for the murder of Congress leader Mulu Modhwadia. The four are all related to each other and they wield a huge clout in the limestone-rich Porbandar district.
“We cannot comment on this stage as we are yet to study the court order,” said BJP spokesperson I K Jadeja.
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