Court refuses to stay Kedar’s conviction, denies him bail

Senior Congress leader Sunil Kedar's conviction in a bank scam has not been stayed by the sessions court, which also rejected his bail plea and plea for suspension of the five-year sentence. Kedar was found guilty of a bank scam and sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment in October.

NAGPUR: In a major setback for senior Congress leader and former Maharashtra minister Sunil Kedar, the sessions court on Saturday declined to stay his conviction in a bank scam. The court also rejected his plea for suspension of the five-year sentence awarded to him and five others by the lower court last week, as well as his bail plea.

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Kedar had challenged his conviction and sentencing before the sessions court through an application filed by his lawyer on December 26, which was heard on Saturday. According to the prosecution, the Nagpur District Central Cooperative Bank lost ₹125 crore in government securities in 2002 as rules were flouted while investing funds through Home Trade Private Limited and four other private investment companies. After hearing both sides, district sessions judge RS Patil on Saturday rejected Kedar’s bail plea.

On October 22, a special court had found Kedar, the sitting MLA from Saoner in Nagpur district, guilty of the bank scam and sentenced him and five others to five years of rigorous imprisonment with fines of ₹12.50 lakh each. Three others were acquitted by the court due to lack of evidence.