CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Friday reserved its judgement on Congress MLA from Barabati-Cuttack, Mohammed Moquim’s plea for stay on his conviction in a loan scam case.The first time MLA had filed a criminal appeal challenging the propriety of the trial court’s order on the ground that it was incurably defective and suffered from gross infirmities.
A single judge bench of Justice BP Routray reserved the judgement after hearing the arguments of senior advocate Pitambar Acharya on Moquim’s behalf and State Vigilance’s senior standing counsel S Das. While Das strongly opposed grant of stay on conviction, Acharya sought stay citing that conviction ensues disqualification of the sitting MLA as per Representation of Peoples’ Act (RPA). The Special Vigilance Court, Bhubaneswar had awarded three years jail term and Rs 50,000 fine on Moquim, former IAS officer Vinod Kumar.