BHOPAL: One out of every five members of Madhya Pradesh assembly is facing criminal charges varying from minor offences to heinous ones like murder, attempt to murder and kidnapping.

A total of 42 MLAs of various political parties in the 230-member House, besides two ministers and a former minister, have criminal cases registered against them. These include seven women.

"Criminal cases of various types have been registered against a total of 42 MLAs, two ministers and a former minister of this assembly," state home minister Umashankar Gupta said in a written reply to question from Congress MLA Ranveer Jatav in the just concluded monsoon session of the assembly.

Seven women members - Women and Child Development Minister, Ranjana Baghel, Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly and Congress leader Jumuma Devi, BJP MLA from Bijawar Asha Rani, Congress MLAs Kalpana Parulekar (Mahidpur), Sadhana Sthapak (Gadarwara) and Imrati Devi (Dabra) and Bharatiya Janshakti Party MLA from Bada Malehra constituency Rekha Yadav - were also booked.

Apart from Baghel, the other Minister against whom criminal case has been registered is Public Health Engineering and Cooperative Minister Gaurishankar Bisen.

Baghel, who represents Manawar constituency in Dhar district, is facing charges under section 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 506 (threatening to kill) in a case registered against her at Manawar Police Station in Dhar district in 2009.

Baghel is the only Minister in the Shivraj Singh Chouhan Ministry who was arrested and released during her ministership.

Bisen was booked under Section 188 of IPC for violating the Balaghat Collector's order and a case in this regard was registered against him at Kotwali Police Station in Balaghat district in 2009. This case is sub-judice.

Asha Rani, a BJP MLA from Bijawar constituency in Chhatarpur district, was booked at Kolar Road Police Station here in January this year for allegedly abetting suicide of her maidservant Tijji Bai, her abduction, keeping her as a bonded labourer and sexually abusing her.

The victim, Tijji Bai, who had sustained serious burn injuries, was found dead at the Bhopal residence of the leader in November 2007.

A case is being tried in Bhopal District Court and Asha Rani has been shown as an absconder.

A case against former Health Minister Anoop Mishra, who resigned last month amid allegations that his family members were involved in a murder case, is also sub-judice.

He has been charged with violating Collector's order besides Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act relating to ending the campaign 48 hours ahead of polls. The case is registered at Malanpur Police Station in Bhind district.

Leader of the Opposition Jamuna Devi is facing a case for disturbing law and order at Jehangirabad Police Station in Bhopal. Another Congress MLA Brajendra Singh Rathore is one of the accused in the murder of former BJP Minister Sunil Nayak and had secured an anticipatory bail from the Supreme Court before being sworn-in in the Assembly in November 2009.

Nayak, who was the BJP candidate from the Prithvipur Assembly constituency, was shot dead on the day of polling for the Assembly polls in November 2008 near Prithvipur town in Tikamgarh district.

Rathore, who was contesting from the same seat, had emerged victorious. A total of 11 persons including eight his family members are accused in this case.

Police have submitted challans in many of the cases and the criminal proceedings are on in courts.