23.1.13

Chautalas jailed



Former five-time Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala, 78, and his son Ajay Chautala were sentenced to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment for illegally recruiting over 3,000 junior basic trained teachers 12 years ago. A special CBI court brushed aside their plea for leniency on the ground that the case had hurt them politically and diminished them in the public eye.
As thousands of supporters of the INLD chief clashed with Delhi Police outside the court, special CBI judge Vinod Kumar held that the “enormity” of the offence of the father-son duo was enhanced by the “brazenness” with which they resorted to illegal rights, depriving the eligible candidates of their constitutional rights.
In all, the special judge sentenced 55 convicts, including two IAS officers, to varying jail terms. Besides the Chautalas, the court awarded jail terms of 10 years each to eight others, including a woman and two IAS officers — Vidya Dhar who was Chautala’s Officer on Special Duty and Sanjiv Kumar, the then director of primary education, who had claimed to be the whistleblower in the case. Sher Singh Badshami, who like the Chautalas is a sitting MLA and had worked as the ex-Haryana CM’s political advisor, was also given 10 years.
The judgment bracketed Chautala with Jayalalithaa and Shibu Soren, two other former CMs who have been convicted for alleged irregularities.
Chautala had cited his failing health as he is a diabetic, and has 70% disability in his right leg besides suffering from various other ailments. Chautala’s counsel also claimed that he had clean antecedents. Stressing that Chautala had been the CM of Haryana for five terms, the counsel argued “if he would have committed anything wrong, public would not have voted for him”.
Chautalas’ plea for leniency, on ground that it was difficult for them to face society after conviction, struck down by special CBI judge Vinod Kumar



Father-son duo, both MLAs, will be disqualified as legislators unless they appeal within 3 months
Lighter sentences (4-5 yrs) for 45 others for ‘being truthful’ during trial
Court says the illegally selected teachers should be sacked
Although IAS officer Sanjiv Kumar was hailed as the “whistleblower” who exposed the teacher recruitment scam, the special CBI court refused to show him any leniency, saying he was not entirely honest. The judge said it “troubled” him to sentence Kumar to 10 years in jail as it may send a wrong message on whistleblowers, but the erstwhile director of primary education was found to be involved in the scam.
The court’s order can have repercussions for the political career of the five time former CM and his son, though the fact that they are sitting MLAs would protect them from the law designed to bar those convicted from contesting elections.
Others who were given 10-year jail terms are Madan Lal Kalra, Durga Dutt Pradhan, Bani Singh, Ram Singh and Daya Saini.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 2,000 on Chautala and Sanjiv Kumar, Rs 1,000 on Ajay Chautala, Vidhya Dhar and Sher Singh, and Rs 1,200 on the other five sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.
A fine of Rs 400 was imposed by the court on the remaining 45 convicts, including 16 women.

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