Madhya Pradesh: Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti sentenced to 3 years in prison in FD fraud case

News Topical, Digital Desk : Congress MLA from Datia constituency in Madhya Pradesh, Rajendra Bharti, has been convicted by the Special MP-MLA Court in Delhi in a 27-year-old fixed deposit fraud case.

On Thursday, the court sentenced him to three years in prison and granted him bail. This decision seriously threatens his legislative position. Co-accused Raghuveer Prajapati, a former bank clerk, was also convicted.

What was the allegation?

In 1998, when Rajendra Bharti was president of the District Cooperative Agriculture and Rural Development Bank (Bhoomi Vikas Bank), he opened an FD of Rs 10 lakh in the name of his mother, Savitri Shyam. This FD was originally for a three-year term and carried a 13.5% interest rate.

It is alleged that Bharti, in collusion with a bank employee, falsified documents. The term of the FD was first extended to 10 years and then to 15 years. Despite falling market interest rates, she continued to withdraw 13.5% interest throughout the term, resulting in losses for the bank. This fraud continued for a long time.

How was the matter revealed?

In 2011, when BJP leader Pappu Pujari became bank president, he uncovered this irregularity. An investigation by the Cooperative Department raised audit objections to the FD. When Bharti requested the FD amount, the bank refused to pay. Bharti subsequently went to the Consumer Forum, the State Forum, the National Forum, and finally the Supreme Court, but received no relief.

In 2015, a criminal case was filed at the initiative of then-District Magistrate Prakash Jangre. Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating), 467, 468, and 471 (forgery) of the Indian Penal Code were invoked. The case was later transferred from Gwalior to the MP-MLA court in Delhi.

Will the MLA post be lost after the punishment?

The court imposed varying sentences under various sections: three years each for two sections and two years for one. The combined sentence is considered to be three years. According to legal provisions, a sentence of two years or more can result in the loss of a legislator's membership.

According to senior lawyers, there will be 60 days to file an appeal. If the High Court grants a stay on the sentence, his membership may be saved. Currently, his membership remains in jeopardy. The MLA's son, Anuj Bharti, stated that an appeal will be filed in the High Court against the verdict.

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