Imphal, July 3: Manipur Assembly today granted leave to jailed former Deputy Speaker Th. Shyamkumar Singh from the House session if he can substantiate his claim that he was not well.

Speaker Sapam Budhichandra Singh announced Shyamkumar’s application for leave from the entire session, which will conclude on July 27, during the morning session of the Assembly.

Shyamkumar, a member of the opposition Manipur Peoples Party (MPP) was sent to judicial custody on April 18 this year by the court of chief judicial magistrate here.

Shyamkumar had cited ill health, for which he was being offered treatment at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences as well as his detention in judicial custody as the reasons for seeking the leave.

Shyamkumar was on bail after Delhi police arrested him from the Indira Gandhi International Airport on October 2, 2006, along with two cadres of the United National Liberation Front, a rebel group of Manipur. He was lodged in Tihar jail.

Shyamkumar contested the state Assembly election from Andro constituency in Imphal East and won the seat in 2007. Subsequently, he was elected Deputy Speaker.

After a Delhi court further refused to grant him bail, Shyamkumar surrendered before the Imphal court. Before he was sent to jail, Shyamkumar tendered his resignation from the post of Deputy Speaker. The Speaker accepted his resignation.

Responding to the announcement, leader of the Opposition in the House Radhabinod Koijam observed that the Assembly could grant the leave of absence if the reason was on medical grounds.

Koijam said if the reason was detention in judicial custody, a member could still attend the session.

Okram Joy Singh, an MPP leader, suggested that instead of granting leave, the matter should have been referred to the Assembly’s committee on leave of absence.

When the Speaker pointed out that the House no longer had such a committee and observed there was adequate ground for granting leave, Joy Singh wanted to know if any proof was attached with the application to show that he was under medical care.

The Speaker informed the House that he had received the application only and no other document was attached to it.

Joy Singh observed that leave for any member should be granted after proper verification of the claims and especially in the case of Shyamkumar as, if he could not attend the House for six months, it would attract provisions of disqualification.

Joy then demanded the House should seek proof of the claim.

The Speaker suggested that the leave should be granted subject to verification of the proof of the claim and the House agreed to grant the leave to the jailed member, subject to verification of the claim.