Morbi (Gujarat): The Gujarat Assembly's newly appointed Pro Tem Speaker and veteran BJP MLA Nimaben Acharya and two others were on Monday sentenced to one-year in jail in a 2009 case pertaining to violation of the election code of conduct.

Acharya, a legislator from Bhuj in Kutch district, former BJP MLA Kanti Amrutia and Manoj Panara, convenor of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti, were also fined Rs 2,000 each.

A Morbi Magistrate’s court pronounced the order while granting the convicts -- including a former legislator and another person -- an opportunity to challenge the order within 30 days.

The case refers to the 2009 Lok Sabha polls in Morbi constituency of Saurashtra region when Nimaben, Amrutia and Panara were campaigning. Amrutia is a former MLA from Morbi.

"No evidence of our involvement has been put before the court. We are not happy with the judgment... We will approach a higher court against the ruling," Acharya told reporters.

He said "all the requisite permissions had been obtained during campaigning and that the case was politically motivated".

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Thane (PTI): Authorities have seized illegally stored 1,839 gas cylinders and seven vehicles worth over Rs 67 lakh in the Dombivli MIDC area of Thane district, officials said on Saturday.

A special vigilance team of the Mumbai Rationing Department detected an illegal storage of domestic and commercial LPG cylinders in Phase-2 of Dombivli (East).

Cylinders belonging to multiple gas agencies were found stockpiled in closed vehicles, unauthorised warehouses, and open sheds without mandatory permissions from the Explosives Department, Fire Department, or oil companies, according to an official release.