Was reinstated as they were worried about outcome in SC: Lakshadweep MP Mohammed Faizal

Thiruvananthapuram: Lakshadweep MP Mohammed Faizal on Wednesday said he was reinstated by the Lok Sabha Secretariat hours before his plea against his disqualification was to be considered by the Supreme Court, as they were worried about the outcome in the apex court.

While welcoming his reinstatement, Faizal said "it was obvious" why the LS Secretariart issued the notification before the case was to be heard by the top court.

"It is obvious why they did it today. They could have very well done it after the Kerala High Court verdict suspending my conviction. Why did they wait for over two months after that?" the NCP MP asked.

Faizal further said that the constituency he represented and the people there were denied a voice in the Lower House for 60 days.

"I intend to write to the Speaker how I and the people I represent are going to be compensated for this," he told PTI.

"Based on the Speaker's response, I will decide the further course of action." Faizal also said he was looking forward to going back to representing his constituency in the Lower House.

The Kerala High Court had suspended Faizal's conviction on January 25, saying that not doing so would result in fresh elections for his vacant seat which would impose an immense financial burden on the government and the public.

Faizal stood disqualified from the membership of Lok Sabha from January 11, the date of his conviction by a sessions court in Kavaratti, according to a notification issued on January 13 by the Lok Sabha Secretariat.

On Wednesday morning, hours before his plea challenging his disqualification was slated to be heard by the apex court, the LS Secretariat restored his membership citing the Kerala HC order of January 25.

The Secretariat said that in view of the Kerala HC order, his disqualification "has ceased to operate subject to further judicial pronouncements".

There were 37 accused in the case. Of them, two had died and the trial had abated against them.

Of the remaining 35, four people -- including Faizal and his brother -- were convicted and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment, while the rest were acquitted.

According to prosecution, Faizal and 36 other accused along with some other identifiable persons, armed with deadly weapons, committed offence of rioting and voluntarily caused hurt on Mohammed Salih, son-in-law of late Congress leader and former Union Minister P M Sayeed, after wrongfully confining him and his friend Mohammed Kassim at a place at Androth island.

They were attacked when they had reached the spot for intervening in a political issue during the 2009 Lok Sabha polls.