Chautala seeks court's nod for pacemaker operation

Former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala, facing trial in a disproportionate assets case, on Monday sought permission from a Delhi court for getting a pacemaker implantation done at a private hospital at his personal expense.

Former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala, facing trial in a disproportionate assets case, on Monday sought permission from a Delhi court for getting a pacemaker implantation done at a private hospital at his personal expense.

HT Image

Chautala's counsel urged special CBI judge Manu Rai Sethi to direct jail authorities to get the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader admitted to a private heart institute to get a pacemaker implantation done at his personal expense as government hospitals do not have the necessary facilities.

At this, the court called for reports from All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) and GB Pant hospitals by March 25 "regarding availability of infrastructure and possibility of appropriate treatment being accorded to the accused (Chautala) in their respective hospitals".

Earlier, the court asked his counsel if there is any medical advise for Chautala to get an implantation done.

The counsel said Chautala was earlier referred to DDU Hospital after his conviction in the 1999-2000 JBT teachers' recruitment scam. He was then referred from DDU to GB Pant Hospital and during his treatment there he was advised to consider pacemaker implantation.

Chautala was not produced before the court from jail, as he continues to be admitted in the jail hospital. The court received medical treatment record of Chautala since the period of his conviction in the JBT scam on January 16. The court has issued fresh production warrant for Chautala for April 1.

The court is hearing a disproportionate assets case registered by the CBI against Chautala in 2010 on a complaint by Haryana Congress leader Shamsher Singh Surjewala, who accused him of amassing assets worth Rs 6.09 crore, far exceeding his legal income between 1993 and 2006.

Two such separate cases are also on against his sons Ajay and Abhay Chautala. Chautala and Ajay Chautala were sentenced to 10-year imprisonment by a Delhi court on January 22 for illegally recruiting 3,206 JBT teachers in the state in 2000.