Finance
The Supreme Court granted bail to Barabari-Cuttack Congress MLA Mohamed Moquim on Tuesday in connection with the Orissa Rural Housing Development Corporation (ORHDC) loan scam case. However, it is unclear whether this allows him to contest in the upcoming Odisha Assembly elections, as the court has not to postpone or dismiss his conviction.
Earlier, a Special Vigilance Court condemned Mohamed Moquim to three years in prison in September 2022. Moquim did, however, win interim bail from the Orissa High Court on a Rs 1 lakh bail bond with two sureties.
The senior Congress politician appealed to the Supreme Court after the Orissa High Court upheld his conviction in the Cuttack-Barabati constituency. The apex court has also accepted Moquim’s petition for hearing the bail petition and issued a notice to Odisha Vigilance in this connection.
The Supreme Court has also approved the Congress leader’s appeal to hear the bail petition, and a notice has been sent to Odisha Vigilance. The Supreme Court heard Moquim’s plea and stayed the High Court’s verdict.
Senior lawyers Mukul Rohatgi, S Muralidhar, and Pitambar Acharya appeared in the Supreme Court on behalf of the Congress leader.
