In a setback to former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda, the Delhi High Court on Friday declined to stay his conviction in a coal scam case to enable him to contest elections, saying itwould not be apt to facilitate him to contest polls for any public office, till he is finally acquitted.
Justice Vibhu Bakhru said the wider opinion was that persons charged with crimes ought to be disqualified from contesting elections to public offices and therefore, it would not be apt to stay Koda's conviction to overcome the disqualification incurred by him.
Koda was held guilty of corruption and conspiracy, by a trial court in 2017, in allocation of a Jharkhand-based coal block to Kolkata-based company Vini Iron and Steel Udyog Ltd (VISUL).
He had moved the plea for stay of conviction to contest in the 2019 Jharkhand state assembly polls and the high court had reserved its verdict on his application on March 19.
The high court said,"It would not be apposite to facilitate the appellant (Koda) to contest elections for any public office, till he is finally acquitted."
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