Pak-origin Brit Tory Councilor charged with bigamy

London, Aug 5(ANI): A 52-year-old Pakistan-origin British Conservative party leader has been charged with bigamy.

Slough Borough Councilor Pervez Choudhry was arrested on Monday and later released on bail.

"A 52-year-old man has been charged with one count of bigamy. He was charged on Monday," The Telegraph quoted a Thames Valley Police spokesman, as saying.

"Pervez Choudhry of Tuns Lane, Slough, has been bailed to appear before Maidenhead Magistrates' Court on August 9," he added.

Peter Dale-Gough, the acting leader of the Conservative group on Slough Borough Council, said that Choudhry had told him that he took part in a religious ceremony with his first wife, but never went through with the civil ceremony and was therefore not married by law.

His is said to have met his second while using an online dating site, and later married her in Pakistan.

She currently lives in Birmingham, and is thought to have left Choudhury on learning that his previous marriage may not have legally ended.

Meanwhile, Choudhry has vowed to clear his name, after agreeing to stand down as the Conservatives' leader.

"I can't comment on the context of the case, but I can say without any hesitation that I have done nothing illegal and I'm vigorously going to defend that," Choudhry said.

"We have decided that I am going to step down and retake my responsibilities when I clear my name," he added. (ANI)