The Delhi High Court has rejected the plea of former Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti to suspend his conviction in the 1998 Rural Development Bank fraud case. This decision denies him relief that could have reinstated his membership in the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly. Justice Manoj Jain declined to suspend the conviction that sentenced Bharti to three years in prison for his involvement in the cooperative bank fraud case.
Bharti had sought suspension of his conviction, arguing that it led to his disqualification as a member of the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly. He contended that staying the conviction pending appeal would allow him to continue representing his constituency. The Special MP/MLA court in New Delhi had convicted Bharti and another individual under various sections of the Indian Penal Code for financial irregularities related to a fixed deposit at the District Cooperative Agriculture and Rural Development Bank in Datia in 1998.
The conviction resulted in Bharti’s immediate disqualification under the Representation of the People Act, 1951, leading to the termination of his membership in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly. As a consequence, the Datia Assembly seat was declared vacant. Despite questioning the ongoing Datia Assembly by-election process, the Delhi High Court had previously declined to grant interim relief to Bharti. The Election Commission of India has announced the schedule for the Datia Assembly by-election, with polling set for July 30 and vote counting on August 3.
