New Delhi, Apr 2 (PTI) A Delhi court on Thursday sentenced Madhya Pradesh Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti and a former bank employee to three years’ imprisonment each in a cheating case involving the forging of bank records to obtain illegal interest payments between 1998 and 2011.
Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh, while underlining that “restitution would serve justice better than physical incarceration”, also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh each on Bharti and former cashier Raghuvir Sharan Prajapati.
The duo was convicted on Wednesday under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of a valuable security), 468 (forgery for cheating) and 471 (using a forged document as genuine).
During the proceedings, public prosecutor Manish Rawat sought maximum punishment, arguing that Bharti — former chairperson of the Zila Sahkari Krishi Aur Grahmin Vikas Bank — Prajapati, an accountant, had betrayed their roles as custodians.
Rawat argued that by defrauding the bank, the duo undermined public faith in the entire banking system. He also argued that Bharti had been involved in around six criminal cases and was in custody for eight days in one of the matters.
Besides, the prosecutor said that the convicts had tried to delay the trial and Bharti’s social media accounts show that he is actively participating in public events and functions.
The defence sought leniency, citing age-related ailments of both convicts.
The judge said, “In a case of the nature in hand, restitution would serve justice better than physical incarceration.” “Convict Rajendra Bharti is sentenced to simple imprisonment for a period of three years for the offence under Section 120B of the IPC, read with Sections 420, 467, 468 and 471 of the IPC and a fine amount of Rs 1 lakh,” he added.
The judge also sentenced Prajapati to three years of simple imprisonment and imposed a Rs 1 lakh fine under IPC Sections 467 and 120 B.
The court directed that the realised fine amount would be provided to Madhya Pradesh Sahkari Krishi Avem Gramin Vikas Bank Seemit, Bhopal, as the complainant bank had undergone liquidation.
“Both convicts are admitted to bail for a period of 60 days from today, enabling them to file appeal(s) before the high court in the present matter. During the period for which they shall remain on bail, the sentence of the present case shall remain suspended,” the court said.
According to the prosecution, Bharti’s late mother, Savitri, had 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 for three years at an interest rate of 13.5 per cent per annum.
The prosecution said that the accused entered into a conspiracy 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 till 2011, long after market interest rates had plummeted, claimed the prosecution.
It alleged that the trust, where Bharti was a trustee, illegally withdrew around Rs 18.5 lakhs as interest.
While convicting Bharti on Wednesday, the court had said, “The argument by Bharti that he is politically targeted or that the prosecution is politically motivated is all speculation. He has failed to prove any such political motives or false implications.” PTI MNR RHL
Category: Breaking News
SEO Tags: #swadesi, #News, Delhi court sentences Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti to 3 years’ imprisonment in cheating case