Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Congress MLA's Plea Against Conviction

The Supreme Court has consented to hear the appeal of Rajendra Bharti, a disqualified Congress MLA from Madhya Pradesh, who is contesting his conviction in a fraud case. The case revolves around allegations of manipulating bank records for illegal interest payments from 1998 to 2011. Following a three-year prison sentence, Bharti's eligibility to serve in the state assembly was revoked. The Election Commission has scheduled a by-election for his constituency, Datia. The court's decision to review the case comes after the High Court denied a stay on his conviction. This article delves into the details of the case and its implications for Bharti's political future.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jul 29, 2026, 17:29 IST

Supreme Court to Review MLA Rajendra Bharti's Case

New Delhi, July 29 - The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the petition filed by Rajendra Bharti, a Congress MLA from Madhya Pradesh, who has been disqualified. His plea challenges a decision made by the Delhi High Court, which denied a stay on his conviction in a fraud case. This case involves manipulation of bank records to obtain illegal interest payments between 1998 and 2011.

On April 2, a lower court sentenced Bharti, the former president of the District Cooperative Agricultural and Rural Development Bank, to three years in prison. Following an appeal against this ruling, the High Court temporarily suspended the sentence on April 28. However, on July 10, the High Court refused to stay his conviction.

As a result of his conviction, Bharti was declared ineligible to serve in the state assembly. The Election Commission has announced a by-election for his constituency, Datia, scheduled for July 30, with the last date for filing nominations being July 13.

Bharti's petition challenging the High Court's July 10 order was presented before a bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta on Wednesday. The bench agreed to hear the case and issued notices to the respondents, scheduling the hearing for four weeks later.

The lower court had found Bharti guilty under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 120B (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), and 471 (using a forged document as genuine). This case, linked to Datia in Madhya Pradesh, was transferred to the Supreme Court last October due to claims of intimidation against defense witnesses.

According to the prosecution, Bharti's late mother, Savitri, deposited ₹10 lakh in the District Cooperative Agricultural and Rural Development Bank on August 24, 1998, under a trust operated by the family, as a fixed deposit for three years at an annual interest rate of 13.5%. The prosecution alleged that the accused conspired to manipulate bank records to continue paying the high interest rate even after the stipulated period.