Tainted CPI member barred from attending Bengal Assembly

Kolkata, Dec 10 (UNI) West Bengal Assembly Speaker Hashim Abdul Halim today barred CPI MLA Sheikh Mohammed Illyas from attending the House till December 21, pending an inquiry report on the legislator's alleged involvement in a bribery case.

The Speaker, who met Mr Illyas in his Assembly chamber earlier during the day, declared in the House that an eight-member committee of Legislators, headed by senior Congress member Gyan Singh Sohanpal, would submit its report and till then Mr Illyas would not be allowed to participate in the proceedings.

The Speaker's ruling came in the wake of a privilege motion, moved by senior Trinamool Congress member Saugata Ray a few days ago demanding that harsh action be taken against Mr Illyas for undermining the dignity of the House.

Mr Ray had mentioned in his motion the action taken by Parliament against the tainted members, who were accused of taking bribes following a similar sting operation.

Mr Illyas, the MLA from Nandigram, recently got embroiled in a controversy after a Bengali television channel conducted a purported sting operation showing him accepting Rs 10,000 against an assurance to raise in the Assembly a question on an NGO project for child development in the area.

He was offered money by a television reporter, who posed as a member of the NGO.

Mr Illyas, however, alleged to the media outside the House that he was the victim of a conspiracy and the allegation against him was baseless.

UNI