Babu Bokhariya, minister in Narendra Modi's cabinet, convicted for illegal mining

By Dilip -
In a major embarrassment for Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, a minister in his cabinet, Babu Bokhariya, has been sentenced to three years in prison for his involvement in a Rs. 54 crore illegal mining case in Saurashtra. Mr Bokhariya, who is Gujarat's water resource minister, has been taken into custody. Three others - former MP Bharat Odedara, Bhima Dula and Laxman Dula - were also convicted in the case. Former leader of opposition, Shaktisinh Gohil, claimed that the sentencing had exposed the Modi government. "It clearly indicates that Modi's ministers are not just corrupt but also indulge in illegal activities,'' he said. The BJP, on the other hand, claimed that the party respected the judicial process.The illegal mining case dates back to 2006 when Mr Bokhariya was neither a minister nor an elected MLA. The complaint was lodged by Umesh Bhavsar, assistant general manager of Saurashtra Chemicals Limited, which held the mining rights in Jinjarka village near Porbandar. The official had accused Mr Bokhariya and the three others of illegal mining and quarrying limestone from the company's land.

Following the complaint, a team of experts from geology and the Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation visited the site and submitted its report. The team of experts said illegal mining limestone worth Rs. 54.18 crore was done. The police seized mining equipment worth about Rs. 7 lakh and cases were registered against the four accused. The mining business in Gujarat is estimated to be worth about Rs. 169 crore. The industry pays taxes to the tune of Rs. 27.32 crore every year. http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/babu-bokhariya-minister-in-narendra-modi-s-cabinet-convicted-for-illegal-mining-379885?pfrom=home-lateststories

A senior minister in the Narendra Modi government was today sentenced to three years imprisonment by a court in Porbandar in the Rs 54-crore illegal limestone mining case of 2006. Gujarat Water Resources minister Babu Bokhiria was convicted by Chief Judicial Magistrate C V Pandya. Bokhiria along with former Congress MP Bharat Odedara, alleged gangster Bhima Dula Odedara, who is behind the bars in a murder case, and his son Lakshman Dula Odedara, who is chairman of Porbandar marketing yard, were sentenced to three years imprisonment and fined Rs 5,000 each. In 2006, manager of Saurashtra Chemical Company Umesh Bhavsar had registered a complaint against the four alleging that they had illegally mined limestone from the land where the company holds mining rights. The complaint also mentioned that they had to face a loss of Rs 54 crore due to the illegal mining done by the four persons. Porbandar is around 180 Kms from here. Porbandar Police had arrested Bokhiria in 2007 from city airport as after the complaint, he left the country and was declared as an absconder. However, the high court had later released him on bail. In the last state assembly elections held in December 2012, Bokhiria had defeated state Congress president Arjun Modhwadia. Bokhiria was made cabinet minister in the Modi government which took over the reins on December 25 last year

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