Ex-Tory leader exposed by wife as bigamist escapes jail sentence

London, May 21 (ANI): A married Tory councillor, who took a second wife after convincing her he was divorced, has escaped jail despite being convicted of bigamy.

Pervez Choudhry, 54, was busted when his new wife hired a private detective to investigate him after a remark from a relative aroused her suspicions.

Dr Zabina Shahian, a GP, discovered that when Choudhry married her in Pakistan in December 2010 he had been legally married to his first cousin Hameda Daulat since 1986.

The career politician, former leader of Slough borough council's Conservative Party, had told Dr Shahian about his first wife, but had convinced her that he was no longer married by showing her court papers about custody hearings regarding their three children, Reading Crown Court heard.

When Dr Shahian discovered the deception, she ended their relationship and subsequently suffered a miscarriage.

Choudhry claimed he had been forced to get engaged to his first wife when he was 11 and she was just a baby.

The marriage went ahead, he claimed, because it was his mother's dying wish, but he said it was unhappy despite the best efforts of his partner.

The disgraced politician was fined 750 pounds on Friday and ordered to pay 4,000 pound compensation to Dr Shahian.

Choudhry said he had lodged an appeal at the High Court against his conviction, having pleaded guilty following a ruling by the judge on the validity of the marriage in Pakistan. (ANI)