HC seeks Delhi govt's reply on Chautalas' parole plea

By PTI

Updated: Sunday, January 24, 2016, 11:10 [IST]

New Delhi, Jan 24: The Delhi High Court has sought city government's reply on the plea by former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala and his son Ajay Chautala, serving 10-year jail term in teachers' recruitment scam case, seeking parole for medical treatment.

Justice Pratibha Rani asked the Delhi government to file their status report before January 29 on the additional application of Chautalas whose appeal against the high court verdict convicting them and sentencing them to 10 years in jail was dismissed by the Supreme Court on August 3 last year.

Initially 82-year-old senior Chautala has sought 60 days' parole for treatment of some problem in his polio-afflicted legs. Ajay sought twelve weeks' parole for enabling him "to get treatment and to maintain social ties".On this the court had already sought police's response by January 29. However, both of them moved a fresh application stating that "additional circumstances has arisen subsequent to the pending of the parole petition".

Advocate Amit Sahni, appearing for Chautalas said the two have to attend weddings in their family, which are scheduled in February. "Their presence in the aforesaid function is required for customary and religious rituals prevalent in their family," the additional application stated.

The high court had on March 5, 2015, upheld the 10 year jail term awarded to Chautalas and three others, saying, "the overwhelming evidence showed the shocking and spine-chilling state of affairs in the country."

Chautalas and 53 others, including two IAS officers, were convicted on January 16, 2013 by the trial court for illegally recruiting 3,206 junior basic trained (JBT) teachers in Haryana in 2000.

Besides Chautalas and two IAS officers, the high court had also awarded 10-year prison term to Sher Singh Badshami, then an MLA and political adviser to Chautala senior. The high court, however, had modified the trial court's order on the quantum of sentence and awarded two-year jail term to 50 other convicts.

PTI