Rasheed Masood seeks bail, contests conviction

The Delhi High Court Tuesday issued notice to the CBI on the bail plea filed by disqualified Rajya Sabha member Rasheed Masood, who is serving four years' imprisonment in a case of corruption and other offences.

Justice Hima Kohli sought the response of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) by Nov 13 on the bail plea of Masood. He has sought bail on medical grounds.

The court also admitted his appeal against the trial court order challenging a four-year jail term awarded to him. He challenged the conviction and sentencing order.

The court also asked jail superintendent to file the medical records of the accused, who claims to be a heart and diabetes patient.

During the hearing, advocate H.R. Khan Sohail appearing for Masood told the court that his client is a heart and diabetic patient. "He has to take 15-18 medicines in a day and four insulin injections," the lawyer said.

He argued that Masood has been facing trial in the case for the last 17 years and during that time he remained on bail and never disobeyed the bail conditions.

On Sep 19, 66-year-old Massod was held guilty of fraudulently nominating undeserving candidates from across the country to the MBBS seats allotted to Tripura medical colleges from the central pool.

On Oct 1, he was awarded four-year jail term and he has been lodged in jail since then.

On Monday, he became the first member of prliament to lose his seat after the Supreme Court struck down a provision that protects a convicted lawmaker from disqualification on the ground of pendency of appeal in higher courts.

Masood was found guilty of offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act and Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating) and 468 (forgery). However, he has been acquitted of the charge of using as genuine a forged document under Section 471 IPC.

Masood was the minister of health in the 11-month V.P.Singh government between 1990 and 1991.