SC to hear Chautalas'' case on July 21

R Sedhuraman

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 6

The Supreme Court (SC) will hear appeals of INLD leaders OP Chautala and Ajay Chautala in teachers' recruitment scam on July 21.

Appearing for former Haryana Chief Minister OP Chautala, senior counsel Puneet Bali pleaded for an urgent hearing as his client was 81-year-old and had 60 per cent disability.

A Bench headed by Justice FMI Kalifulla couldn't hear the case today as the other judge Justice UU Lalit has already opted out of all the cases related to the scam, known as JBT (junior basic trained) scam.

Both Chautala and his son Ajay have been sentenced to 10-year jail in the case. Bali said Chautala was seeking bail pending disposal of his appeal against conviction and sentence.

Besides age and disability, he had also cited various ailments for grant of bail. The Bench asked the Court's registry to tag all the appeals in the case and post them together for hearing.

More than 50 persons, including top officials, have been convicted in the case by the trial court. The Delhi High Court has upheld the ruling with some modifications.

It could not be ascertained immediately as to how many of them have come in appeal to the SC.