Following the rejection of his bail application by a sessions court, Sunil Kedar, a Congress leader and former minister, has now approached the Bombay High Court to appeal the five-year sentence handed to him in connection with the misappropriation of funds from a bank. Kedar, a five-term MLA from Saoner in Nagpur, was sentenced on December 22 by a Nagpur magistrate court, which led to his immediate disqualification as a legislator according to the law.
Facing charges including criminal breach of trust linked to his tenure as chairman of the Nagpur district cooperative bank from 1999 to 2002, Kedar filed two pleas before the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court. The pleas are scheduled for a hearing on Wednesday.
In the appeal, Kedar contends that the trial court erred in evaluating crucial evidence and highlights his status as a senior citizen. The appeal emphasizes the extraordinary 21-year duration of the case and its toll on him. Kedar asserts his compliance with all bail conditions during the trial and argues that staying the sentence is crucial, as the absence of incriminating evidence renders a prolonged incarceration unjust. The sessions court had rejected his appeal, citing the severity of the case.
The trial court had convicted Kedar and four others on charges including criminal breach of trust, criminal conspiracy, and forgery under the Indian Penal Code. The court directed them to pay a fine of Rs 12.5 lakh. The case pertains to alleged irregularities in transactions at the Nagpur District Central Cooperative Bank Ltd (NDCC), discovered during audits by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and the Cooperative Commissioner in 2002.