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Synopsis

The Bombay High Court has granted bail to Congress Leader Sunil Kedar, who was convicted by the trial court for irregularities committed in the Nagpur District Central Cooperative Bank (NDCC).

The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court, comprising Justice Urmila Joshi, heard an appeal filed by the Congress leader after his conviction by the trial court in the bank scam.

The five-time Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) was sentenced to 5 years of imprisonment by the magistrate court in December 2023.

Kedar was booked by the officials under Sections 409 (criminal breach of trust by a public servant), 120B (criminal conspiracy), 468 (forgery for cheating) for the alleged scam during his tenure as the chairman of Nagpur District Central Cooperative Bank in 2002.

According to the prosecution, during his tenure as chairman, certain rules were allegedly flaunted, leading to a loss of Rs. 125 crores for the bank.

The scam came to light after an audit was conducted by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and an audit by the Cooperative Commissioner in 2002.

Following his conviction by the trial court in December 2023, a gazette order was issued by the Secretariat of the Maharashtra Legislature, disqualifying Kedar as an MLA, as the period of imprisonment was more than 2 years.

After the conviction by the trial court, Kedar filed an application before the Sessions Court seeking a stay on the conviction, but the same was rejected.

Kedar then moved the high court seeking bail and the suspension of the sentence awarded by the trial court.

The high court, in its order, noted that the reasons for the suspension of the sentence and granting bail will be recorded separately.

The high court granted bail to Kedar and ordered his release on bail upon his executing a P.R. Bond of Rs. 1,00,000 with one solvent surety.

Case title: Sunil Chhatrapal Kedar V/s State of Maharashtra