The Delhi High Court on Friday refused to stay the conviction of disqualified Madhya Pradesh Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti in a cheating case involving the forging of bank records to obtain illegal interest payments between 1998 and 2011.
Court Verdict
Justice Manoj Jain dismissed Bharti's plea seeking suspension of his conviction, stating, "We are dismissing it." The high court had earlier stayed the three-year sentence awarded to the former MLA on April 28 after he filed an appeal against the trial court's decision.
Background of the Case
On April 2, the trial court sentenced Bharti, former chairperson of the Zila Sahkari Krishi Aur Grahmin Vikas Bank, to three years' imprisonment. He was convicted on April 1 under Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of a valuable security), 468 (forgery for cheating), and 471 (using a forged document as genuine) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Legal Arguments
Bharti's counsel argued that staying the conviction would remove the basis for his disqualification, thereby preventing his assembly seat from being declared vacant. The case, originating in Madhya Pradesh's Datiya, was transferred to Delhi by the Supreme Court in October last year due to claims of intimidation of defense witnesses.
Prosecution's Allegations
According to the prosecution, Bharti's late mother, Savitri, deposited Rs 10 lakh in the Zila Sahkari Krishi Aur Grahmin Vikas Bank at Datiya on August 24, 1998, as a three-year fixed deposit in the name of a family-run trust at an interest rate of 13.5% per annum. The accused allegedly conspired to extend the high-interest payments beyond the stipulated period by physically tampering with bank records. Using correction fluid and overwriting, the three-year term was extended by 10 and 15 years, allowing the trust to continue withdrawing annual interest payments until 2011, long after market interest rates had dropped. The prosecution claimed that the trust, where Bharti was a trustee, illegally withdrew a significant amount as interest.
Impact
The refusal to stay the conviction means Bharti remains disqualified as an MLA, and his assembly seat is subject to vacancy. The case highlights issues of financial fraud and misuse of power by public officials.
