A special MP/MLA court in Delhi on Thursday sentenced to three years in prison Congress MLA from Madhya Pradesh’s Datia Rajendra Bharti and another person for defrauding a co-operative bank.

The verdict poses a risk to Mr. Bharti’s legislative membership. 

On Wednesday, the court had convicted him and Raghuvir Sharan Prajapati, a former employee of the Co-operative Agriculture and Rural Development Bank (ARDB), Datia, in a case from 2015 for allegedly making illegal withdrawals of interest amount on a ₹10 lakh-fixed deposit (FD) for 13 years as well as using his influence to increase the term of the FD, purchased in 1998, from original three years to 10 and 15 years. Mr. Prajapati, a cashier at the time, was convicted for helping Mr. Bharti. 

The two were convicted under Sections 120B, 420, 467, 468 and 471 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). While the court imposed a fine of ₹1 lakh on Mr. Bharti, the fine amount for Mr. Prajapati is ₹2.5 lakhs.

Mr. Bharti’s mother, Savitri Shyam, was also an accused in the case but she passed away during the course of trial. 

Mr. Bharti and Mr. Prajapati have, however, been granted bail for 60 days to be able to appeal before a higher court. 

Mr. Bharti’s office said an application to challenge the verdict will be filed before the Delhi High Court in the next two-three days. 

Mr. Bharti was the chairman of the bank at the time of FD purchase and when its term was changed. As per the bank’s allegations, the interest amount was started to be withdrawn before the FD got mature and continued until 2011 at the higher rates of 1998.

In 2025, the case was transferred to Delhi on the directions of the Supreme Court on a petition filed by Mr. Bharti.

The verdict comes as another challenge for the Madhya Pradesh Congress which is already facing the risk of losing another MLA. 

Earlier in March, the membership of Vijaypur MLA Mukesh Malhotra was invalidated by the Madhya Pradesh High Court for suppressing information about pending criminal cases against him in the election affidavits during the bypoll in November, 2024, and declared BJP leader Ram Niwas Rawat, then a State Cabinet Minister and runner-up, as the elected MLA from the seat. 

Mr. Malhotra, however, has challenged the order in the Supreme Court and got a stay on it. Although, the SC has maintained various restrictions imposed on Mr. Malhotra.