High Court upholds stay on Gujarat minister Babu Bokhiria's conviction in illegal mining row

AHMEDABAD:In a relief for Gujarat Minister for Water Resources Babu Bokhiria, the High Court today dismissed a plea challenging the stay granted by a Porbandar sessions court on his conviction in an illegal mining case.

Justice S G Shah dismissed the revision application against the stay, filed by Dilip Kataria, an activist. Kataria's lawyer B M Mangukia said they would now file appeal before the Supreme Court.

The petitioner alleges that the state government did not challenge the lower court's order because its officials were hands in glove with Bokhiria.

The case against Bokhiria dates back to 2006 when the manager of Saurashtra Chemical Company filed a complaint against him and three others about illegal mining of limestone in an area where the company held mining rights.

All four were convicted and sentenced to three years imprisonment by the Judicial Magistrate's court in Porbandar in June 2013. Porbandar sessions court stayed the conviction as Bokhiria's appeal before it is pending.

Bokhiria defeated Gujarat Congress president Arjun Modhwadia in 2012 Assembly elections from Porbandar