The Gujarat High Court on Friday rejected petitions by two state BJP leaders, including a minister, challenging proceedings initiated against them by a special Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) court in the alleged Rs 400-crore fisheries scam.
Justice J B Pardiwala rejected the petitions of Gujarat Minister of State (Mos) for Fisheries Parshottam Solanki and former MoS for Fisheries Dileep Sanghani.
It does "not see any good ground to interfere with the impugned order", the high court said.
Ishaq Maradia had filed a complaint against the two leaders in 2008, alleging that they flouted rules by allotting fishing contracts without floating tenders.
Solanki and Sanghani moved the HC after the ACB court in Gandhinagar issued summons to them after taking into account a ACB inquiry report.
Refusing relief to them, the high court said they can move a discharge application at a later stage.
The high court, however, converted the non-bailable warrants issued against them by the special court into bailable warrants.
Justice Pardiwala observed that "it is the rampant corruption indulged in with impunity by highly-placed persons that has led to economic unrest in this country" and corruption has "effectively arrested the progress of our society to prosperity."