Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti has been convicted in a Delhi court for a cheating case involving bank fraud and forgery, highlighting the legal troubles of the politician and the court's commitment to a fair trial.
A Delhi court on Wednesday convicted Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti from Madhya Pradesh in a cheating case.
Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh said that "accused Bharti and accused Raghuvir Sharan Prajapati, along with Savitri Devi and possibly other unknown persons", entered into a criminal conspiracy and the object of this conspiracy was to cheat the complainant bank (Zila Sahkari Krishi Aur Grahmin Vikas Bank) by continuing to draw interest at a much higher rate beyond 2011, which was the initial fixed deposit (FD) duration of three years.
He said that in furtherance of this conspiracy, the bank documents, which are valuable securities, were forged, and the forgery was part of the aim to cheat the bank.
The judge then convicted Bharti and Prajapati for the offences of criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery of a valuable security, will and forgery for cheating and using a forged document as genuine.
Judge Singh also observed, "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."
"Instead, it is a case of forgery of bank documents and cheating the bank from 1998 to 2011, which is long before the alleged political rivalry claimed by Bharti."
Earlier in October last year, the Supreme Court had transferred the trial in the case from Madhya Pradesh to Delhi after taking note of the claim that efforts were made to intimidate defence witnesses.
The top court, which had stayed the further proceedings in the case pending before a court in Gwalior, had said it was the state's duty to ensure a fair trial was conducted.