Gujarat order to prosecute BJP minister upheld

In a setback to the Narendra Modi government, the Gujarat High Court on Thursday dismissed a petition filed by MoS Fisheries Purushottam Solanki, who had challenged the governor’s order which sanctioned the minister’s prosecution in Rs 400 crore fisheries contract scam.

Solanki, the representative of the powerful Koli community, has been under fire from the high court for arbitrarily awarding fishing contract across the state. While the state cabinet had denied sanction for his prosecution in this case, Gujarat Governor Kamala Beniwal snubbed the Modi government and sanctioned Solanki’s prosecution.

Her decision followed another order of the High Court which said it was the governor who was the competent authority to grant such a sanction in case of a minister.

The complainant in this case — Isaq Maradia — had made an application to the governor after the high court had declared the governor as the competent authority.

Maradia had earlier alleged that Solanki demanded Rs 30 lakh from Shree Vatrak Jalasay Matsya Udyog Mandali for fishing contract at Vatrak dam.

Maradia claimed that the minister allegedly had intervened in the process of awarding contract and had instructed commissioner of fisheries not to grant any fishing lease as per the established policy of issuing tender notice without consulting him.

The minister thereafter allegedly contacted certain cooperative societies as well as individuals directly and awarded fishing contract of around 50 reservoir in areas over 200 hectares each. The lease was granted for prices far below the fixed price in the previous contract.