Conservative Indo-Canadian MP Gurmant Grewal has gone on stress leave even as his allegations that the Liberals offered him inducements to switch parties to keep the government from collapsing last month are being investigated.

"...Grewal informed me in writing that he would be stepping down from his position as co-chair of the Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations, while the current investigation takes place. I look forward to Gurmant reassuming these responsibilities when these matters are resolved," Conservative Party leader Stephen Harper said in a statement.

The opposition leader's statement also said: "Subsequently, I have spoken with Gurmant. I have been aware that for some days now he has been feeling significant personal pressure. As a result, he and I agreed that he should take a temporary stress leave from his parliamentary responsibilities."

Grewal, an MP from Newton-North Delta riding, is under pressure as a growing number of audio experts believe the secret tapes he released May 31 to the Royal Canadian Mountain Police containing conversations he had with Tim Murphy, chief of staff to Prime Minister Paul Martin and Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh.

Grewal's wife Nina, a Conservative MP from Fleetwood-Port Kellis, whose name is also mentioned in the alleged deal, claimed June 8 that she had nothing to do with the secret tapes.

She told the Toronto Star in an interview, "Nobody approached me, I wasn't part of any negotiations."

The beleaguered politician is facing controversy on a few other fronts as well, including his obtaining Canadian citizenship by allegedly pretending to be a business entrepreneur.

Gurwinder Dhillon, a businessman, has said he participated in the scheme by selling $50,000 in shares in 1993 to Grewal who was a carpet salesperson at his company at that time.

Grewal sold back the shares the next day in what Dhillon said amounted to a phoney transaction, according to news reports.

Citizenship and Immigration required prospective entrepreneurial immigrants to manage a business that would be set up within two years, provide job opportunities, including to at least one Canadian, and make a significant contribution to the economy.

Grewal came to Canada in 1991 from Liberia and hoped to become a Canadian citizen by establishing himself as an entrepreneur who would start up his own business, said Dhillon, who claimed he wrote a cheque to Grewal's lawyer, nullifying the transaction.

In the meanwhile, in a new development, Grewal is being investigated by Air Canada. The national carrier is scrutinising allegations that Grewal approached strangers at Vancouver International Airport a few days ago and asked them to take a package to Ottawa, a violation of security regulations.