An East Lancashire county councillor has given up the Green Party whip because of ‘an investigation’.
Cllr Sohail Asghar was elected to represent Accrington West and Oswaldtwistle Central division on the authority in May.
Now he has voluntarily relinquished the Green Party whip at County Hall while the investigation proceeds.
He is now sitting on Lancashire County Council as an Independent but remains part of the Progressive Lancashire Group opposition.
The Lancashire Telegraph understands from multiple sources that his decision follows his arrest by the police earlier this month.
Cllr Gina Dowding – leader of the Green group on Lancashire County Council said: “Cllr Asghar has voluntarily given up the Green Party whip because there is an investigation.
“This will remain the case until the investigation is completed.”
Hyndburn Green Party vice-chair Joan West said: “Sohail Asghar has given up the whip at County Hall for personal reasons.”
Neither would go into further details of the reasons for the self-employed private hire driver and qualified football referee’s decision.
But Lancashire Telegraph inquiries have discovered suggestions that Cllr Asghar to the decision to relinquish the county council whip – but not his Green Party membership – after police arrested him and two others early last month as part of an investigation into alleged ‘modern slavery’.
It has made repeated attempts to contact Cllr Asghar by phone, email and Facebook without response.
A police statement said: “We have arrested three people as part of an investigation into alleged modern slavery in Accrington.
A 29-year-old man from Accrington has been arrested on slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour and common assault; a 51-year-old woman from Accrington has been arrested on slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour; and a 55-year-old man from Accrington has been arrested on slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour and making threats to kill.
“The arrests were made at a property in Accrington on 6th November and all three suspects have been bailed.”
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