Gujarat minister,kin get 3-yr jail for illegal mining

Water Resources Minister Babu Bokhiria and three relatives were accused of illegal limestone mining

A Porbandar court Saturday convicted Gujarats Water Resources Minister Babu Bokhiria and three of his relatives,including a former Congress MP,in a 2006 case relating to illegal mining of limestone from land owned by a company and sentenced them to three years of rigorous imprisonment.

The three others convicted and sentenced are former Congress MP Bharat Odedara,alleged gangster Bhima Odedara and his son Laxman Odedara. Bokhirias daughter is married to Bharats son and Bhima is the cousin of Bokhiras wife.

The case was lodged in 2006 at Bagodar police station by Umesh Bhavsar,an assistant general manager of Saurashtra Chemicals Limited,the company which had mining rights at Jinjarkha village near Porbandar town. The complaint said the four illegally mined limestone worth Rs 54 crore from the land owned by the company.

The accused have been convicted of various offences under the Indian Penal Code,including theft 379 and criminal trespassing 447.

While pronouncing the judgment,the court of additional chief judicial magistrate observed,8230;considering the seriousness of the case as well as status of the accused,maximum punishment should be imposed.

The convicts have a weeks time to file an appeal against the order failing which they will be sent to prison.

According to Vijay Kanara,an advocate who represents two RTI activists who are co-complainants in the case,the police had earlier declared Bokhiria as absconding in the chargesheet,but he was seen at public functions on several occasions. Following a complaint by the two activists before the court,the police arrested Bharat while Bokhiria filed anticipatory bail plea in the Supreme Court,which rejected it. In 2007,just before the Assembly polls,Bokhiria returned from the UK and surrendered before the court,which sent him to judicial custody.

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When contacted on Saturday,Bokhiria said he would appeal against the judgment in higher courts. Asked if he would resign as a minister,he said,I leave the matter of my resignation to the party. The partys decision will be acceptable to me.

State BJP president Ranchhoddas Faldu said the party would first study the judgment and then take a decision on the minister.