New Delhi, 07 April (H.S.):

Former Madhya Pradesh MLA from Datia, Rajendra Bharti, has approached the Delhi High Court to contest the three-year imprisonment awarded by a trial court in a bank fraud case.

Justice Swarnkanta Sharma's bench issued notices to the Madhya Pradesh government and the Election Commission while hearing the petition, scheduling the next hearing for April 15.

The High Court refused to stay the trial court's order. Bharti sought an interim halt on his conviction and a directive preventing the Election Commission from notifying elections for the Datia Assembly seat, arguing that poll announcements would irreparably damage his political career.

Rouse Avenue Court convicted Bharti on April 1 and sentenced him to three years on April 2, immediately disqualifying him from the Madhya Pradesh Assembly. Co-accused Raghuvir Sharan Prajapati was also held guilty; Bharti's mother, Savitri Shyam, faced charges but had passed away earlier.

The case dates to August 24, 1998, when Savitri Shyam opened a ₹10 lakh fixed deposit at the District Cooperative Agriculture and Rural Development Bank at 13.5% interest for three years, registered under the Shri Shyam Sundar Shyam Jan Sahyog and Social Development Institute trust formed by her husband.

Allegations state she withdrew ₹1.35 lakh annual interest instead of awaiting maturity, violating terms—a practice continuing yearly from 1999 to 2011. As a bank board director, Bharti allegedly pressured staff to facilitate payments to his mother, involving tampering with receipts, accounts, and certificates to extend the deposit tenure to 10 and 15 years, enabling prolonged high-interest payouts.

The complainant bank filed the FIR on July 29, 2015, in Madhya Pradesh, initially against Bharti and his mother, later adding Prajapati. Bharti petitioned the Supreme Court for transfer to Delhi, which approved the shift.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar