Delhi HC stays ex-Union minister Dilip Ray’s conviction to allow him contest polls

Delhi High Court stays former Union Minister Dilip Ray's conviction in coal scam case, allowing him to contest Odisha elections, considering his age and political career.

Updated on: Apr 8, 2024, 20:49:26 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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The Delhi high court on Monday stayed conviction of former Union minister Dilip Ray in a coal scam case allowing him to contest the upcoming Odisha legislative assembly elections.

People familiar with the matter said Dilip Ray would join the BJP soon and he is likely to be made the party’s candidate for Rourkela assembly constituency in Odisha., (File)

Ray, 71, in October 2020 was sentenced to three-year jail term in a case pertaining to irregularities in the allocation of a Jharkhand coal block in 1999. Allowing Ray’s application, justice Swarana Kanta Sharma said if the conviction is not suspended, it would lead to an irreversible consequence in case he is acquitted at a later stage.

While granting Ray the relief, the court took into consideration his long political career during which he became a Union minister on several occasions as well as a minister in the Odisha government.

“As noted above, the elections are to be held in the year 2024, he is 71 years of age, and multiple appeals and cross-appeals have been filed in this case which will take time to be heard and are not likely to be heard and decided in the nearest future,” the high court noted. “In case the applicant’s (Ray) prayer is not allowed, he will lose chance to contest election and an irreversible consequence and irreversible damage to his political career and desire to serve his constituency will be caused to him.”

People familiar with the matter Ray would join the Bharatiya Janata Paty (BJP) soon and he is likely to be made the party’s candidate for Rourkela assembly constituency in Odisha.

He had quit the BJP in 2018, alleging that he was treated as a furniture in the party. However, he did not join the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Odisha despite overtures by the regional party.

“After quitting the BJP, he has supported the party and never harmed it. His joining the BJP would make BJP candidate Jual Oram’s win easy in Sundargarh Lok Sabha constituency,” said a BJP leader. Rourkela goes to polls on May 20.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More