Chautala goes to HC over conviction

Former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala on Thursday moved the Delhi high court, challenging his conviction and 10-year sentence in the teachers’ recruitment scam. HT reports.

Former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala on Thursday moved the Delhi high court, challenging his conviction and 10-year sentence in the teachers’ recruitment scam.

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The 78-year-old Indian National Lok Dal chief also sought the suspension of his jail term on the grounds that “he was unwell and suffering from various ailments”.

Chautala, along with his MLA son Ajay Chautala and 53 others, were convicted on January 16 by the trial court for illegally recruiting 3,206 junior basic trained teachers in Haryana in 2000. All of them were sentenced on January 23.

The senior Chautala, held as the “main conspirator” of the scam, was found guilty of cheating, forgery and conspiracy under the IPC, and for abusing his official position under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The sentence virtually marked the end of the road for him and his son Ajay Chautala as it ruled out the two out of the electoral race for 16 years. Haryana is due for polls in 2014.