SC Suspends Odisha MLA Moquim’s sentence in corruption case

The Supreme Court took action on Tuesday regarding Mohammed Moquim, a Congress MLA from Cuttack-Barabati constituency in Odisha, who was involved in a corruption case. During the hearing of Moquim’s appeal, a bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice Dipankar Datta decided to suspend his sentence. This decision was made alongside issuing a notice to the state government regarding Moquim’s appeal against the Odisha High Court’s ruling.

Moquim was represented by senior advocates Mukul Rohtagi and Muralidhar, along with advocate Mithu Jain, during the proceedings. His appeal challenges the Odisha High Court’s decision from April 10, 2024, which upheld his conviction and sentence by the Special Judge, Vigilance, Bhubaneswar. The original judgment from September 29, 2022, by the Bhubaneswar court had sentenced Moquim to three years of rigorous imprisonment in the corruption case.

In his appeal, the Odisha MLA argued that there was a lack of evidence, either documentary or oral, to prove his involvement as a guarantor in a Rs 1.5 crore loan or that the loan was disbursed to Metro Builders Pvt Ltd. He also emphasized that there was no proof that he and his company, Metro Builders Pvt Ltd, engaged in deceitful activities against any individual.

The corruption case revolves around the illegal sanction and disbursement of a Rs 1.5 crore loan by the then managing director of the Orissa Rural Housing Development Corporation in 1994 to Metro Builders Pvt Ltd. This action was deemed illegal as it was done without proper financial authority and without sufficient security for the loan amount, leading to financial loss for the Odisha Rural Housing and Development Corporation (ORHDC).

Moquim’s involvement in Metro Builders Private Limited as its Managing Director is central to the case, and his appeal aims to challenge the conviction and sentence based on the evidence and legal arguments presented during the proceedings.