Modi, Cabinet face contempt plea in HC
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- Current News
- Wednesday, 04 July 2012 16:06
- Published on Wednesday, 04 July 2012 16:06
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Gujarat Global News Network, New Delhi
Ishaq Maradia, the complainant in the Rs400 crore fisheries scam has filed a contempt of court plea against Chief Minister Narendra Modi and his council of ministers before the Gujarat High Court for refusing to allow the prosecution of fisheries minister Purushottam Solanki in the alleged scam.
The application has been filed by Maradia through his counsel, advocate Mukul Sinha. It was Maradia who had exposed Solanki’s role in giving away contracts for fishing in reservoirs in the state at throwaway rates in the last 10 years in the Gujarat HC. Subsequently the Gujarat HC had cancelled all such contracts issued by the minister.
In 2008, Maradia was denied the fishing contract by the minister. He then approached the HC and the court ordered to start a bidding process for the year 2007-2008. The authorities followed the order and it was found that the state government earned much more (Rs 45 crore) in revenue than it had recorded previously (Rs 2.4 crore).
Maradia alleged that because Solanki did not opt for the bidding process, the government had lost more than Rs 400 crore in the past 10 years. Maradia had also demanded that the minister be prosecuted.
However, the government refused to grant sanction for prosecution in 2010 following which Maradia filed a petition before the High Court.
The court, in its order, said the Governor, in consultation with the council of ministers, should decide in three months on the sanction to prosecute the minister. Last week, the government decided not to allow the minister’s prosecution.
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