Rasheed Masood jailed for 4 years in MBBS seat scam, loses RS seat

mangaloretoday.com

New Delhi, Oct 01: Congress Rajya Sabha MP Rasheed Masood has become the first legislator to be disqualified after a Delhi court sentenced him to four years in jail in connection with the MBBS seat scam.

The Rajya Sabha MP had been convicted of cheating, forgery and corruption in an MBBS seat scam and was sentenced on Tuesday. Masood will be taken into custody and be taken to the Tihar jail. The defence had pleaded for leniency citing Masood’s old age and health.

 

Two other accused - former IPS officer Gurdayal Singh and former IAS officer AK Roy - have also been sentenced to four years in jail while seven students who were also involved in the scam get one year in jail.

The Rajya Sabha MP had been convicted of cheating, forgery and corruption in an MBBS seat scam. Masood has been held guilty of nominating undeserving candidates to MBBS seats allocated to Tripura from the central pool. The fraud was carried out during Masood’s tenure as MoS Health in 1990-91.

The court has also found him guilty of conspiring with two others who have also been convicted. CBI had alleged that some candidates got their names nominated for MBBS seats for academic session 1990-91 from accused Gurdial Singh, then Resident Commissioner Tripura and an IPS officer of Gujarat cadre who was on deputation to government of Tripura.

As per CBI, Singh and Masood entered into criminal conspiracy among themselves and with candidates whose names were to be nominated as nominee of Tripura even when they were not qualified for the same. With regard to one candidate (who was also an accused in the case and was a juvenile at the time of offence), CBI said, investigation revealed that the nominee’s father was the editor of a daily in Uttar Pradesh and had met Masood to arrange a medical seat for his son.

Masood had in turn allegedly contacted Singh for the same. Of the 11 cases, Gurdial Singh is a common accused in six cases while retired IPS officer Amal Kumar Roy, Secretary to then Chief Minister of Tripura has been held guilty in five similar cases. Masood had in turn allegedly contacted Singh for the same. Of the 11 cases, Gurdial Singh is a common accused in six cases while retired IPS officer Amal Kumar Roy, Secretary to then Chief Minister of Tripura has been held guilty in five similar cases.

The then chief minister of Tripura Sudhir Ranjan Majumdar and then health minister of the state, Kashi Ram Reang were also accused in the case. They passed away pending trial.