A Delhi MP-MLA court on Wednesday convicted Rajendra Bharti in a 25-year-old fraud case involving alleged forgery and financial irregularities, and ordered his immediate custody in Tihar Jail. The court is scheduled to pronounce the quantum of sentence on April 2.
The case dates back to August 24, 1998, when Bharti’s mother, Savitri Shyam, deposited Rs 10 lakh as a fixed deposit in the District Cooperative Rural Development Bank in Datia at an interest rate of 13.5 per cent for a period of three years. At the time, Bharti was serving as chairman of the bank’s board. According to the prosecution, Bharti allegedly misused his official position to extend the tenure of the fixed deposit first from three years to ten years, and later to fifteen years, while continuing to avail the high interest rate. Investigators claimed that key bank records—including ledger books, FD counter slips, and receipts—were tampered with to facilitate these extensions.
The prosecution further alleged that Bharti, along with co-accused Raghuveer Sharad Prajapati, forged documents between 1999 and 2011. Through these actions, he allegedly secured an annual gain of approximately Rs 1.35 lakh for his mother and the associated institution, resulting in financial losses to the bank. Irregularities came to light after Bharti stepped down from the bank’s board, when an audit team raised objections. Subsequently, the Cooperative Department filed a complaint in court.
Bharti had earlier challenged the proceedings in the Madhya Pradesh High Court and later in the Supreme Court of India, arguing that he would not receive a fair trial in the state. Acting on his plea, the Supreme Court transferred the case to a special MP-MLA court in Delhi, where the conviction was delivered. Reacting to the development, Madhya Pradesh Congress Legal Cell chief J.P. Dhanopia said the party would examine the court’s order and decide on further legal steps.
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