Rasheed Masood taken to Tihar Jail

New Delhi, Oct. 1 (ANI): Delhi Police on Tuesday evening took Congress Rajya Sabha MP Rasheed Masood to the Tihar Jail here hours after he was convicted on corruption charges in connection with the MBBS scam.

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 66-year-old Congress leader had been convicted of cheating, forgery and corruption in an MBBS seat scam.

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 got one-year jail term.

" Rasheed Masood four years, Roy four years, Gurdayal Singh four years. The student beneficiaries one year," said Harpreet, the defence lawyer. She added that Masood was calm during the sentencing.

As Minister of Health in the V P Singh Government between 1990 and 1991,

Masood was held guilty of fraudulently nominating undeserving candidates to MBBS seats allotted to Tripura in medical colleges across the country from the central pool.

It has taken 22 years to convict a criminal and that too courtesy the Supreme Court.

If it had not been for the Supreme Court judgement, Masood would still be roaming the streets with just an appeal filed in the next higher court.

However, I feel, conviction is not enough.

The judiciary to take back the ill gotten wealth which these convicted criminals may have amassed because of the relevant crimes, then only will justice be done.

We have not got the figures for Masood but Lalu Yadav's crime entailed a unlawful gain of so 38 crores for only this case. There are 5 more cases wherein the total gains made by these criminals totalled Rs 950 crores.

Now this Rs 950 crores should be collected from the 44 persons proportionally, if they are convicted.

Otherwise, they will just spend a few years in jail and then enjoy the fruits of the crime.