ગુજરાતી
English
Solanki had rebelled against Modi, Sanghani was Modi’s close friend
Despite being accused of bribery, Parshottam Solanki became fisheries minister 7 times in all BJP governments
The BJP leader who caused a loss of Rs 400 crore to the people of Gujarat by taking a bribe of Rs 11 crore in 2008 is out of jail for 16 years.
Dilip Patel
Ahmedabad, 31 July 2024
During Narendra Modi’s government, a fisheries scam of Rs 400 crore took place. Two of his ministers Dilip Sanghani and Parshottam Solanki are accused. The Gujarat High Court rejected the plea of BJP leaders Purushottam Solanki and Dilip Sanghani for release without charge. It rejected the plea to acquit the two BJP leaders, paving the way for the trial.
Discharge petition of Purushottam Solanki rejected and Dilip Sanghani is currently the chairman of IFFCO. This is a clear order in corruption cases against the ministers of the Modi government. Both these ministers were fisheries ministers when Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister.
Justice Hemant Prachak on Friday rejected the petition to acquit former ministers Dilip Sanghani and Purushottam Solanki and their subordinates from corruption charges, paving the way for their trial. However, the judge extended the stay for four weeks on request. Purushottam Solanki is also a minister in the current Bhupendra Patel government.
Ordered to appear in court.
The Gandhinagar court sentenced both of them.
The Gandhinagar court rejected the petition to discharge both of them, saying that a prima facie case appears to be made out in view of the investigation report. The court also said that the allegations leveled against both are not baseless.
Dilip Sanghani, Purushottam Solanki and others are accused of awarding fishing contracts in 58 state reservoirs to cooperative groups without any tender process. They were charged under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code.
It was alleged that the award was given without any tender process. He was charged with offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code.
Since the former ministers were charged and summons were issued by a special court, various claims have been raised in the High Court.
A documentary has just been made on Parshottam Solanki. There is no mention of this case.
2007 – Pradhan
When Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister, Solanki was in the rebel group against him. Parshottam Solanki was the Fisheries Minister in Keshubhai Patel’s government in 1995 and 1998, Narendra Modi’s government in 2002, 2007, 2012. He was the Fisheries Minister in Anandi Patel’s government in 2014 and Vijay Rupani’s in 2016 and 2017 and Bhupendra Patel’s government in 2021 and 2022.
Ever since Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister, he was sent to the constituencies as a star campaigner in every election. Apart from the Chief Minister, he is the only candidate so far who has got a helicopter for campaigning. BJP has not been able to cancel his ticket so far. Before becoming the Chief Minister, Narendra Modi used to visit Solanki’s bungalow.
In the 2012 assembly elections, Botad was forced to change its seat due to a rift with the then Energy Minister Saurabh Patel.
Parshottam Solanki’s brother Heera Solanki has also been an MLA. He was the first to know about the terrorist attack on Akshardham.
When Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister, Heera Solanki was sent as a star campaigner to the coastal areas of Gujarat. In many elections of Gujarat, BJP and Narendra Bhai have taken the responsibility of counting the coastal votes on themselves.
2008
When the 5-year contract given to the fishermen ended in 2008, Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister. These contracts were to be renewed in 2009 by auctioning the catch. But Purshottam Solanki gave the contract to 12 people first and then to 38 people at an upset price. Cabinet approval is necessary to award contracts without auction, Solanki did not get this approval.
2008
In 2008, a complaint was filed in the Gandhinagar court against the two politicians and seven others, including top officials of the fisheries department, in this scam. The lakes of the state were given away in a corrupt manner by misusing their power.
In 2008, during his tenure as fisheries minister, Parsottam Solanki awarded contracts for fisheries ponds without tenders. The investigation has also revealed the involvement of former agriculture minister and Modi’s close friend Dilip Sanghani.
Solanki filed a petition in the High Court demanding that no criminal investigation be conducted against him.
In 2008, Justice J.B. Pardiwala rejected this writ. He said, the allegations made in the complaint are very serious and cannot be ignored.
A person associated with fish trade and hotel industry in Banaskantha district tried to get government contract for lakes for fishing in 2008.
A complaint was filed in the special court alleging corruption in awarding contracts for fish farming ponds. The law is to award work through tenders only. But Solanki used to take bribes by awarding these contracts to his private persons. Accordingly, during July-August 2008, contracts for 58 ponds for fish farming were awarded without tenders.
The value of the illegally awarded contract was much less than the legally awarded contract. Parsottam Solanki called the contractors to the government office and held meetings.
Allegedly, 58 contracts
It is alleged that
Solanki has taken a total bribe of Rs 11 crore for this.
The complainant filed an application in the High Court to cancel all these 58 contracts.
The court cancelled all the contracts.
The High Court ordered a thorough investigation by a special court.
In 2012, the then District Police Chief of Gandhinagar was entrusted with the task of investigation. The officer was not giving further investigation report. Different reasons were presented in every hearing.
He kept giving the same reason that Solanki was not available because he was campaigning for the 2012 Gujarat Assembly elections. Therefore, the complainant pleaded in the High Court to hand over the investigation to the CBI.
When the case reached the High Court again in 2013, the court handed over the investigation to the Anti Corruption Bureau.
In 2014, the investigation revealed that apart from Solanki, former minister Dilip Sanghani and five high-ranking officials of the state government were also involved in the scam. Due to the malpractice, the state exchequer has suffered a loss of Rs. 400 crores have been lost.
2015
On August 12, 2015, a special court judge concluded that the evidence and details presented in the report were sufficient for criminal proceedings against seven persons.
Solanki’s innings
In 2018, Solanki filed a petition in the High Court against the order of the special court and said that the complaint was made maliciously. Public interest will also be harmed by the appearance of the state minister in the court. The court order is wrong. If the minister comes to court then it is not harmful to public interest.
There is a right to take action on the basis of complaints. Any action can be taken.
2018
In 2018, the High Court rejected his petition to quash the criminal proceedings and summons.
The High Court ordered him to appear in the special court within fifteen days.
2019 Main Chowkidar
This is what happened in 2019. In which the Main Chowkidar campaign was run by the BJP to make Narendra Modi the Prime Minister, the Main Chowkidar campaign suffered a setback when the court issued an arrest warrant against the ministers involved in the government of former Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a case of Rs 10 thousand. 400 crore scam in Gujarat.
A non-bailable warrant was issued against BJP’s Amreli leader Dilip Sanghani. Dilip Sanghani was present in the court through his lawyer but Solanki was absent due to illness.
In the case of Rs 400 crore fisheries scam in the Narendra Modi government, the High Court has directed the state’s Fisheries Minister Parshottam Solanki to appear in the special court within 15 days.
The Gujarat government’s anti-corruption agency has complained that BJP minister Solanki is the mastermind.
Thus, when the Chowkidar campaign started, the minister of Modi’s time became a thief while stealing.
The problems of these two BJP leaders increased when the Gujarat High Court refused to cancel the process issued by the Gandhinagar Court against the ministers.
Also, the Governor has given permission to take action against Solanki considering the crime proven under the provisions of the Act.
The watchmen are accused of corruption by causing a loss of 400 crores to the treasury of the state government of Bahadur Nagarik Mardia. The High Court canceled the allotment of these reservoirs and ordered to give the contract by adopting the tender process. In the same case, Ishak Mardia had filed an application seeking permission to prosecute Parshottam Solanki under the Anti-Bribery Act. In this case, the Special Court of Gandhinagar ordered an inquiry under Section-202. In which the investigation was done by the investigating officer for more than two years.
Apart from Parshottam Solanki, reports came out that a case could be registered against Dilip Sanghani and four other high-ranking officials. Therefore, a complaint was lodged against them and action was ordered.
2021
The same thing happened on March 12, 2021.
The special anti-bribery court issued a warrant for the arrest of BJP government minister Parsottam Solanki in the fish farming scam of Rs 400 crore before the Lok Sabha elections. The non-bailable warrant was declared for not appearing in court. However, the non-bailable arrest warrant has been issued in the absence of Solanki. He can be arrested at any time.
This was considered the first incident of the end of the Solanki Koli era after the Koli leader Kunvarji Bavaliya, who broke away from the Congress, got support from the BJP. (Google translation from Gujarati)
