Rasheed Masood, 66, was convicted last month for cheating, criminal conspiracy and forgery. (File pic)
Congress parliamentarian Rasheed Masood has been disqualified from the Rajya Sabha after he was convicted and sentenced to four years in prison for corruption.
The 66-year-old had been convicted last month for cheating, criminal conspiracy and forgery. "The law-maker has become a law-breaker," the CBI had said in court, while seeking punishment for the politician.
(Congress MP Rasheed Masood went from 'law-maker to law-breaker': CBI)Mr Masood was the first parliamentarian to be found guilty in a criminal case after the Supreme Court ruled that lawmakers stand immediately disqualified if they are convicted of corruption.
(Congress MP Rasheed Masood arrested, sentenced to four years)
Mr Masood, who was health minister in the VP Singh government in the early 90s, has been convicted of misusing his office to grant admission in medical colleges to students who were not eligible.
He had controversially said in July that Rs. 5 could buy a hearty meal in Delhi, a comment meant to counter opposition criticism of the Planning Commission's stand that anyone who has access to Rs. 28 a day is not poor.