Former Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Madhu Koda, has once again sought a suspension of the order convicting him in the coal block allocation scam case from the Delhi High Court. Koda’s plea comes amidst his aspiration to contest the upcoming assembly elections that are set to take place in Jharkhand in November 2024. He stated that the failure to suspend his conviction would deprive him of the opportunity to participate in the democratic process.
During the hearing on Wednesday, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) opposed Koda’s plea, questioning its maintainability. The CBI argued that a similar plea had been dismissed by the High Court previously with a reasoned order. Following arguments from both sides, the Delhi High Court issued a notice on the matter and scheduled a hearing on the maintainability of the application for August 13, 2024.
Madhu Koda was convicted by the Delhi Court in 2017 on charges of criminal misconduct and violations of the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act. He was sentenced to three years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 5 lakh. However, in 2018, Koda was granted bail and a stay on the fine. Despite his efforts, the Delhi High Court rejected his plea for a stay on the conviction order in 2020.
Now, after four years and with the desire to participate in the forthcoming elections, Koda has approached the Delhi High Court once more, citing new factual and legal developments. In his plea, Koda emphasizes that his criminal appeal has been pending since 2017, and despite the passage of four years, the matter has not been listed for a hearing since the order dated May 22, 2020.
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