Apex court refuses to stay Jharkhand ex-CM’s conviction in coal scam case

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda will not be able to contest the Assembly poll in the state next month as the Supreme Court on Friday dismissed his petition seeking a stay on his conviction in a coal scam case.

A Bench led by Justice Sanjiv Khanna declined to interfere with the October 18 order of the Delhi High Court refusing to stay his 2017 conviction. On December 13, 2017, Koda, former coal secretary HC Gupta, former Jharkhand Chief Secretary AK Basu and Koda’s aide Vijay Joshi were sentenced to three years in prison by a trial court for alleged corrupt practices and criminal conspiracy in the allocation of the Rajhara North Coal Block in the state to Kolkata-based company Vini Iron and Steel Udyog Limited (VISUL).

It had imposed fines of Rs 50 lakh, Rs 25 lakh and Rs 1 lakh on VISUL, Koda and Gupta, respectively, in the UPA-era coal scam. Basu was further saddled with a Rs 1 lakh fine. However, they were granted bail during the pendency of their appeals.

Under the Representation of People Act, 1951, a person stands disqualified from contesting polls if convicted and sentenced to a prison term of two years or more.