Published on: April 23, 21:23 IST
Supreme Court suspended the sentence of Mohammed Moquim, a Congress MLA representing the Cuttack-Barabati constituency in Odisha, in connection with a corruption case. The decision came from a bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice Dipankar Datta while hearing Moquim’s appeal.
Moquim, who was represented by senior advocates Mukul Rohtagi and Muralidhar, alongside advocate on record Mithu Jain, challenged the verdict of the Odisha High Court, which had upheld his conviction and three-year sentence pronounced by the Special Judge, Vigilance, Bhubaneswar.
The corruption case stems from allegations that Moquim, along with his company Metro Builders Pvt Ltd, was involved in deceiving Orissa Rural Housing Development Corporation (ORHDC) in a loan transaction amounting to Rs 1.5 crore. The prosecution argued that the loan was illegally sanctioned and disbursed to Metro Builders Pvt Ltd by the then managing director of ORHDC in 1994, causing wrongful financial loss to the corporation.
In his appeal to the Supreme Court, Moquim contended that there was insufficient evidence to establish his involvement in the fraudulent transaction. He argued that neither documentary nor oral evidence existed to prove his role as a guarantor in the loan agreement or any wrongdoing on his part.
The Supreme Court bench, while suspending Moquim’s sentence, also issued a notice to the state government regarding his appeal against the Odisha High Court’s decision.
This development marks a significant turn in the legal battle for Mohammed Moquim, who continues to maintain his innocence in the corruption case. The suspension of his sentence by the Supreme Court provides a temporary respite pending further proceedings and highlights the complexities surrounding the case.
