Porbander sessions court on Tuesday gave regular bail to Gujarat’s water resource minister Babu Bokhiria in Rs 54 crore illegal mining case.
The Minister and other three were convicted in the case and sentenced to three years imprisonment on Saturday by the Porbander chief judicial magistrate. As Bokhiria was given seven days mid-term bail by the court, he had applied for regular bail. He also filed an appeal challenging his conviction for illegal mining of limestone before the sessions court. However, the court has fixed the hearing on his appeal on July 6.
In his appeal, filed through his advocate Bokhiria also prayed for stay on the three-year sentence awarded to him on June 15 by the Chief Judicial Magistrate. Apart from Bokhiria, who is MlA from Porbander, three of his partners including former MP Bharat Odedara, Bhima Dula and laxman Odedara were also held guilty in the same case.
Meanwhile, Gujarat congress submitted memorandum to Vajubhai Vala, speaker of Gujarat Assembly and demanded Bokhiria’s resignation with immediate effect. “We demand immediate resignation of the Gujarat water resources minister who has been convicted in an illegal limestone mining case,” said leader of
Opposition in the assembly Shankarsinh Vaghela.