Orissa HC Reserves Verdict On Odisha MLA Md Moquim’s Plea Against Jail Term In Loan Fraud

Bhubaneswar: The Orissa High Court on Thursday concluded the hearing on Congress MLA from Barabati-Cuttack Mohammed Moquim’s appeal against his conviction in the rural loan fraud case.

The court has, however, reserved its verdict in the case, Moquim’s counsel Pitambar Acharya told the media.

Moquim had filed a criminal appeal challenging the propriety of the order of the September 29 Special Vigilance Court on the ground that it was “incurably defective and suffered from gross infirmities”.

While admitting the criminal appeal on Monday, the single judge bench of Justice BP Routray stayed the September 29 Special Vigilance court’s order of sentencing the Congress MLA to three years imprisonment. He was also granted interim bail against a bail bond Rs 1 lakh and two sureties.

The legislator had filed three miscellaneous case petitions for a stay on sentence and grant of bail, a stay on Rs 50,000 fine imposed by the trial court and a stay on the conviction. The court fixed October 13 hearing after the state Vigilance sought time.

Also Read: Odisha MLA Moves HC Against 3-Year Jail Term In Loan Fraud Case

Notably, the Special Vigilance Court in Bhubaneswar had awarded 3-year rigorous imprisonment to Moquim, former IAS officer and MD Orissa Rural Housing Development Corporation (ORHDC) Vinod Kumar and two others in the loan scam. The court found them guilty of showing undue official favour, criminal misconduct, forgery, cheating and criminal conspiracy and obtaining pecuniary advantage for Metro Builders Pvt Ltd by releasing funds in the guise of loans meant for the rural poor.

Metro Builders Pvt Ltd was sanctioned a term loan of Rs 1.5 crore from the state PSU for its Metro City-II project without the approval of the board of directors of ORHDC or the loan committee.

Moquim, however, got instant relief and was not sent to jail after the conviction. As per law, a trial court that sentences a person to three years imprisonment can give him/her instant bail.

Also Read: Loan Fraud Conviction: Will Odisha Cong Leader Md Moquim Lose MLA Status?