Ex-Minister Dilip Ray Seeks Stay On Conviction To Contest Elections In Odisha

New Delhi/Bhubaneswar: Former Union minister Dilip Ray, who was sentenced to a 3-year jail term in a coal scam case on irregularities in the allocation of a Jharkhand block in 1999, has urged the Delhi High Court to grant a stay on his conviction as he wishes to contest the upcoming elections in Odisha

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma issued notice to the CBI on Thursday and asked it to file a status report on the application of 71-year old Ray, who was Minister of State for Coal in the erstwhile Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. The high court listed the matter for further hearing April 5, news agency PTI reported.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Ray, submitted that the politician wishes to contest the upcoming elections and so was seeking a stay on his conviction.

The application said by virtue of Section 8(3) of the Representation of the People Act, Ray stands disqualified from contesting the forthcoming Lok Sabha or Odisha state Assembly elections or getting nominated to the Rajya Sabha, which irreparably and irreversibly causes grave prejudice to him, especially considering his age.

Senior advocate R S Cheema and lawyer Tarannum Cheema, appearing for the CBI, said they will file a response to the application for which they need some time.