JBT scam: HC seeks Delhi govt reply on O P Chautala's parole plea

The Delhi High Court Wednesday sought response of the AAP government on a plea by INLD Chief O P Chautala, serving 10-year jail term in teachers' recruitment scam, seeking three months parole to take care of his ailing wife.

Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal asked the Delhi government to file a status report and listed the matter for further hearing on April 12.

85-year-old Chautala sought parole for three months to spend time with his wife in her "last days" claiming that she is critically ill and admitted in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in a hospital.

The INLD leader, through senior advocate N Hariharan and advocate Amit Sahni, said he had filed an application with the jail authorities in November 2018, for parole on the ground that being the head of the family he has to amicably settle the dispute between his two sons.

Another ground for parole was to look after his 83-year-old and ailing wife, who is suffering from various age related chronic ailments, and to provide her medical treatment.

His parole plea was rejected by the Minister of Home, Delhi government, in January this year on the ground that he had already availed two weeks parole and seven weeks furlough in 2018.

The ministry said the grounds taken by Chautala were found to be general in nature and no emergent cause was shown by him for seeking parole.

Chautala, his son Ajay and three others are serving 10-year jail term each in the case.

The Supreme Court in August 2015 had dismissed Chautalas' appeals against the high court's verdict upholding their conviction and the jail term awarded by a trial court in the Junior Basic Trained (JBT) teachers recruitment scam case.

The high court had on March 5, 2015 upheld the 10-year jail terms awarded to the two Chautalas and three others, saying, "The overwhelming evidence showed spine-chilling state of affairs in the country."