The Supreme Court on Friday has denied former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda’s request for a stay on his conviction in the coal block allocation irregularities case, which would have allowed him to contest the upcoming Assembly elections in the state.
A bench comprising of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Sanjay Kumar rejected Koda’s plea, which challenged a Delhi High Court order.
Koda’s counsel argued that since his conviction, he has been barred from participating in elections, but the court was not swayed. Justice Khanna remarked that various factors must be considered when deciding to stay a conviction.
Senior Advocate R.S. Cheema represented the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the proceedings. In his plea, filed through advocate Yoothica Pallavi, Koda contested the October 18, 2024, decision by the Delhi High Court, which dismissed his earlier request for a stay on his conviction.
Koda’s petition emphasized that he should not be denied the opportunity to contest elections indefinitely. He highlighted that he belongs to the Ho community, one of the most backward regions of Jharkhand, which makes up approximately 10.7 percent of the Scheduled Tribe population in the state.
The plea argued that the refusal to suspend his conviction would adversely affect both Koda and his constituents electorally.
The Delhi High Court had dismissed Koda’s plea to stay his conviction, reaffirming that he, along with former coal secretary H.C. Gupta, former Jharkhand chief secretary A.K. Basu, and aide Vijay Joshi, received 3-year prison sentences for corruption and conspiracy in the allocation of the Rajhara North coal block to Vini Iron and Steel Udyog Ltd.
In 2017, Koda was convicted of criminal misconduct under the Prevention of Corruption Act, sentenced to 3 years in prison, and fined Rs 5 lakh. Although he was granted bail and a stay on the fine in 2018, the Delhi High Court denied a stay on his conviction in 2020.
Four years later, Koda returned to the High Court, citing new factual and legal developments and emphasizing that his criminal appeal has been pending since 2017 without a scheduled hearing.
This latest Supreme Court ruling underscores the ongoing legal challenges Koda faces as he navigates his political future.
