Kolkata:
Trinamool Congress MLA from Raniganj in Burdwan district Sohrab Ali was today sentenced to two years' rigorous imprisonment by a court in Asansol on the charge of theft of railway iron scraps.
Two more persons were given identical punishment on the same charge by the Seventh Judicial Magistate's Court in Asansol.
The judge suspended the sentence for a period of three months on a petition by Mr Ali's counsel Jagadindu Ganguly to enable the petitioner to move a higher court for regular bail.
According to court sources, Mr Ali was accused of stealing iron scraps belonging to Railway in 1995.
Mr Ali's counsel said they would move a higher court against the trial court verdict.
Asked to react on the jail sentence of MLA Sohrab Ali, West Bengal Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee said in Kolkata that he would comment only after getting the court order.
"I am yet to receive the court order. First let me go through it and then only I can comment on this matter," Mr Banerjee told PTI.
Trinamool Congress secretary-general Partha Chatterjee too said that he would comment only after "knowing the matter properly".
"When the incident happened in mid-nineties Sohrab Ali then was a leader of an ally of the ruling Left Front. Let us go through the court order first and then only I will comment," Mr Chatterjee said.
Former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said that it should set a precedent and people should think carefully before electing someone.