Muzaffarnagar/Meerut, Sept 19 (ZEENEWS.COM) Two Muslim clerics purportedly caught on camera allegedly taking bribes for declaring fatwas were suspended as Ulemas on Monday decided to form a body to monitor issuance of religious edicts.

All India Milli Council set up an inquiry committee and announced "a social boycott" of those involved in the Fatwas racket.

Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband suspended Mufti Habibur Rehman and Meerut's Shahi Jama Masjid removed Maulana Imran following reports that they were seen accepting the money in return for issuing Fatwas.

Darul Uloom Vice-Chancellor Marghoobur Rehman said a four-member panel would investigate the matter and if found guilty Habibur would be dismissed. "It may be a conspiracy to malign the image of this world-famous seminary," he said.

Senior clerics of the seminary asked the community to seek Fatwas from reliable institutions to ensure its legality.

Meerut Naib Qazi Jenur Rashideen told reporters that Imran had been removed from the mosque's clergy and also asked to leave Nakkarchian-Gudri Bazar locality.

In a late night meeting attended by Ulemas and Qazis, the mosque management decided to soon set up a body, "Darul Ifta", to monitor the declaring of Fatwas, he said.

Rashideen said prominent clerics would be members of the body managed by him.

An 11-member committee had also been constituted to probe the Fatwa racket with Haji Haneef Qureshi as convenor. Maulana Asad Jilani and Qazi Shafiqul Rehman were among its members, he said.

Imran late last evening tendered an apology but claimed that the "money was not taken for Fatwas. It was taken for the welfare of Madarsas".

Meerut MP Sahid Akhlaq meanwhile claimed that none of the clerics had accepted money in lieu of issuing Fatwas and described the sting operation as "completely wrong and mischievous".

"The Muslim society condemns the way its has been twisted and shown on TV," he told reporters after a delegation of clerics met him at his house today.

The clerics alleged that two of the Muftis shown in the sting operation accepting were not even members of the clergy.