Mumbai: Babanrao Gholap , a senior Shiv Sena leader and a candidate in the coming Lok Sabha (LS) election, was on Friday found guilty of corruption by a special court and sentenced to three years rigorous imprisonment.

The special court found Gholap and his wife guilty of holding assets disproportionate to their known sources of income. The ruling comes as a major embarrassment to the Shiv Sena.

Gholap was a cabinet rank minister in the Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena government of Maharashtra between 1995-1999 and is currently a member of state legislative assembly.

He now not only stands to be disqualified as a candidate from Shirdi constituency but will also lose his position as a legislator. Gholap currently represents Deolali Cantonment constituency from Nashik district in the state assembly.

The court gave its ruling in a case filed in 1999 by Milind Yavatkar of the non-profit organization Bhrashtachar Nirmulan Kriti Samiti or action committee for eradication of corruption, started by social activist Anna Hazare.

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