Gujarat illegal mining case: Congress MLA gets 32-month rigorous imprisonment

The court found him guilty under IPC Section 379 (theft) and sentenced him to 32 months’ rigorous imprisonment and imposed fine of Rs 2,500.

The court acquitted him of the charge under IPC Section 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) for want of evidence.

Co-accused Gordhan Devaliya had died during the trial, following which the prosecution dropped the case against him.

Barad, who is also president of Gir Somnath district unit of Congress, and Devaliya had been booked by Sutrapada police based on a complaint by then royalty inspector M K Maru.

Maru’s complaint had stated that Devaliya, who had been granted a lease to mine limestone from Pikhor village in neighbouring Talala taluka, colluded with the MLA to illegally mine limestone from the grazing land in Sutrapada. Devaliya later sold the mineral to Gujarat Heavy Chemical Limited using the royalty passes of the Pikhor lease, the complaint stated.