Bhubaneswar, Aug 12 - The Orissa High Court has stayed the conviction of former National Aluminium Company Ltd (NALCO) chairman S.K. Tamotia in a graft case.

The court of a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) judge here had in February sentenced Tamotia to three years in jail on the charge of possessing disproportionate assets.

The high court bench of Justice Indrajit Mohanty last week stayed Tamotia's conviction, observing that the trial court did not accept all of Tamotia's income while determining disproportionate assets.

'The court has set aside the conviction and I am happy,' Tamotia, who held numerous positions at NALCO from 1984 until 1996, told IANS Wednesday.

After resigning from NALCO, Tamotia also held key positions in many premier organisations like Hindustan Aluminium Company Ltd (Hindalco) and Vedanta.