'Rasheed Masood's arrest will send a very strong message': D. Raja

Communist Party of India (CPI) leader D. Raja on Tuesday said the arrest of Congress MP Rasheed Masood in connection with a medical admission graft case will send out a very strong message to all political parties.

He said the verdict is a great leap in the maturing of Indian democracy.

"This judgement will send a very strong message to all political parties, to all politicians, to all those who are in public political life. In fact, this should be understood as a great leap in the maturing of our democracy," he told media, while reacting to the verdict.

Masood is the first legislator to be disqualified after a Delhi court sentenced him to serve four years in jail in connection with the MBBS seat scam case.

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 A K Roy, have also been sentenced to serve 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.