HC seeks Delhi govt's response on OP Chautala's petition seeking parole extension

The Delhi High Court on Friday sought a response from Arvind Kejriwal-led government on the writ petition filed by former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala seeking an extension of his parole for four weeks.

The parole granted to Chautala is expiring on August 27.

A bench of Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar in the court sought the response from the Delhi government.

Chautala was granted parole by the Delhi government on August 11 after the demise of his wife Sneh Lata.

Senior advocate N Hariharan and Advocate Amit Sahni appearing for Chautala submitted that his presence is essential for observing 40 days post-cremation rites observed in their community.

The court issued a notice to the Delhi Government and listed the matter for hearing on August 26. The court has directed the Delhi government to file its response to it.

Chautala and his son Ajay Singh Chautala are serving a jail term in a teachers' recruitment scam case.

On January 22, 2013, a trial court had sentenced 55 accused in the teachers' recruitment scam case. Among those convicted were 82-year-old Chautala's then political adviser Sher Singh Badshami, the then Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Vidya Dhar, IAS, and then Primary Education Director Sanjiv Kumar, besides 50 others.

A total of 55 persons were convicted under the JBT scam for illegally recruiting 3,206 teachers in Haryana in 2000.

The father-son duo, including two IAS officers, were among 55 persons convicted on January 16, 2013, by the trial court.