Chautalas' conviction deterrent for favouritism: Shanta Kumar

"This would act as a deterrent for nepotism in recruitment by political leaders in the country," the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said in a statement here.

The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leaders were convicted by a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in New Delhi Wednesday and were taken into police custody in a recruitment scam involving JBT (junior basic training) teachers.

Shanta Kumar, a former Himachal Pradesh chief minister, however, expressed sympathy for elderly Chautala.

"An elderly leader like Chautala going to jail at this age is unfortunate. It leads to natural sympathy for him. I have close relations with him. I am also pained to read this news," he said.

He, however, said the favoritism in jobs by the political leaders was on the rise and the common man had lost faith in the political system.

Hailing the judiciary and appreciating the witnesses for taking the case to its logical conclusion, he said: "The decision may have come after a delay but has come rightly."

The INLD chief and his son Ajay are Haryana legislators. The court also convicted 53 others for the illegal recruitment of over 3,000 JBT teachers.

The court will pronounce the sentence Jan 22.