Congress MLA gets 3 year jail in fraud case

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Thursday sentenced Congress’ Madhya Pradesh MLA, Rajendra Bharti, and co-accused Raghuvir Sharan Prajapati to three years of imprisonment in a document forgery and bank fraud case, a day after finding them guilty of conspiring to cheat a cooperative bank while holding positions of responsibility. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh each on both.The defence submitted that Bharti is a “sitting MLA from Datia, and is a third-time MLA who is responsible for the discharge of his public functions”, and highlighted that he is a heart patient who recently underwent treatment. For Prajapati, the defence stressed his age.The court then suspended the sentence for two months, during which both convicts can file an appeal against the judgment in an appellate court.