Fisheries 'scam': Solanki, Sanghani plead innocence before HC

Seeking to quash the trial court proceedings in the alleged fisheries scam of Rs 450 crore, Gujarat Fisheries Minister Purshottam Solanki alongwith former minister Dileep Sanghani today argued before the High Court there was no case made out against them.
They knocked the doors of the HC two years ago after a special Anti-Corruption Bureau court in Gandhinagar issued summonses to them after taking into account an inquiry report of the ACB.
During today's brief hearing before Justice J B Pardiwala, lawyers for both the leaders claimed there was no concrete evidence against their clients and the trial against them should be scrapped.

Justice Pardiwala posted the matter for February 16.
The case dates back to 2008, when Solanki was minister of state for fisheries and Sanghani was the cabinet minister for agriculture.
At that time, Palanpur-based businessman Ishaq Maradia moved the Gujarat HC and alleged that Solanki flouted rules by allotting contracts without following tendering process.

Maradia alleged that Solanki was involved in Rs 450-crore "scam" by illegally granting contracts for fishing in 58 reservoirs across the state.
After initial refusal of the Gujarat government to grant sanctions to prosecute Solanki, Maradia moved the HC in 2012.
During past hearings in the HC, Solanki said the contracts of fisheries were granted by Sanghani as he was then designated as the cabinet minister.

The then state cabinet under the leadership of former Chief Minister Narendra Modi had refused to grant sanctions to prosecute Solanki.
However, the then Gujarat governor Dr Kamla Beniwal on July 30, 2012 overruled the state cabinet and sanctioned the prosecution of Solanki under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Following which, Maradia filed an application in the ACB court demanding criminal prosecution of Solanki and Sanghani under the PC Act.
After the case was lodged against Solanki and Sanghani, the Gandhinagar court had asked the ACB to conduct an inquiry during May 2013 and asked the officials to submit a report.

A report in this regard was submitted before the ACB court in 2015 which had indicated irregularities while awarding the contracts for fisheries.