Bhubaneswar: In a sigh of relief for Congress leader Mohammed Moquim, the Supreme Court today suspended his 3-year sentence in Odisha Rural Housing Development Corporation (ORHDC) loan scam case.
“Issue notice. Standing counsel accepts notice on behalf of the State….Post the matter for hearing…Having heard the senior counsel for the parties and taking into consideration all the attending circumstances, the sentence of the petitioner is ordered to be suspended subject to his bail bonds,” the apex court said in its order.
The sentence has been suspended till disposal of the Special Leave Petition (SLP).
The Orissa High Court had on April 10 upheld a lower court’s verdict, which had sentenced him to three years of imprisonment in the case. He had moved the Supreme Court challenging the High Court’s order.
Earlier, a Special Vigilance Court in Bhubaneswar had awarded him three years of rigorous imprisonment in the loan scam case. Moquim was working as the Managing Director of Metro Builders Private Limited during the alleged scam.
Moquim was allegedly involved in obtaining pecuniary advantage in favour of the company in guise of loans meant for rural poor from ORHDC.
