Gupta goes jail‚ MJF-R calls meet

KATHMANDU,Feb 22 - A day after the Supreme Court (SC) convicted Information and Communications Minister JP Gupta on corruption charge and sentenced him to jail, Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum-Republic (MJF-R) has convened a meeting on Wednesday to respond to the SC verdict. 

In a meeting called at Singha Durbar, Leaders of the MJF-R are anticipated to prepare the party’s official view on the verdict, which says Gupta--who is also the chairman of MJF-R --should languish in jail for 18 months, besides paying a penalty of Rs 8.4 million to the government for the sin he committed. 

Today’s meeting will also decide on continuing in the government or not, MJF-R sources confirmed.A Central Committee member of MJF (R) BP Yadav said his party would decide on continuing in the government after holding talks within the party and with UDMF partners.

The Terai-based party has also called all of its central members to the capital to call the CC meet at the earliest, to decide on the fate of the party after its chairman surrendered to court’s verdict, which has charged him with accumulating assets worth Rs24.03 million disproportionate to his income by abusing his authority. 

The conviction by the SC has automatically terminated both his posts: ministerial and of lawmaker. Before he was ferried to the jail, he resigned from the post of minister through the media as he could not tender it to the prime minister in person following the SC verdict.