'Corrupt will now be afraid': BJP on Masood's sentence

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday welcomed the arrest of Congress Rajya Sabha MP Rasheed Masood after he was sentenced to four years in prison in connection with the MBBS seat scam, and said the corrupt will now be afraid.

"The corrupt will now be afraid. The BJP had kept up the pressure. Now, the law is catching up with them," said BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain.

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.

Masood will be taken to the Tihar jail.

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.