O P Chautala moves Delhi HC against AAP govt order barring him from political activity during furlough

Former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala, serving a 10-year jail term in teachers' recruitment scam case, Friday moved the Delhi High Court, challenging AAP government's decision barring him from any political activities during his three-week furlough.

The INLD chief was initially to be released on furlough from January 22 ahead of Jind by-poll, however, later the date was postponed to January 29, that is, after elections with the condition that he shall not attend/address any political meeting/gathering and shall not involve in political activities during the period of furlough, his plea claimed.

The by-poll is scheduled for January 28 after the seat fell vacant following the death of INLD MLA Harichand Middha.

Chautala, 83, alleged in his petition, filed through advocate Amit Sahni, that he was a victim of "political conspiracy hatched between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi headed by Arvind Kejriwal and Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) headed by his grandson Dushyant Chautala".

Dushyant Chautala is the son of Ajay Chautala.

O P Chautala, his son Ajay and 53 others, including two IAS officers, were among 55 persons convicted on January 16, 2013 by the trial court for illegally recruiting 3,206 Junior Basic Teachers in Haryana in 2000.

Chautala's sentence was upheld by the Delhi High Court and later by the Supreme Court.

Chautala, in his plea, has made Delhi government and Home Minister Satyendar Jain parties.

The petition alleged that due to the plot hatched by his family members, now heading JJP, his release on furlough was interfered and later a new condition was imposed for not participating any political activity or addressing any gathering.

It said that in the January 17 order of the Director General of Prisons, Tihar Jail, granting him furlough, there was no condition but later on January 18, the condition for no participation in any political activity was added.

Later, after directions of the Delhi home minister, earlier furlough orders were suppressed and on January 21, furlough was made operative from January 29, after by-polls, it claimed.

"Two AAP MLAs namely Surender Singh Commando and Sukhbir Dalal met patron of JJP namely Ajay Chautala (son of the petitioner) on January 17, 2019, when the latter was on furlough for two weeks and AAP agreed to extend support to JJP candidate in Jind by-election, Haryana but formal announcement was not made in this regard.

"Immediately after the meeting, vide order dated January 18, additional condition was added to the furlough order dated January 17 by pressurising the Director General (Prisons)...," the plea alleged.