SC refuses bail to Ajay Chautala

R Sedhuraman

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 15

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to grant relief to the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader, Ajay Singh Chautala, in the teachers' recruitment scam.

Appearing for Chautala, senior advocate Gopal Subramanium sought bail as an interim relief. But the court rejected the plea. It nevertheless granted permission to seek parole on medical grounds by filing the necessary application.

Subramanium said his client had a serious health condition requiring hospitalisation.

A Bench headed by Justice FMI Kalifulla initially passed an order dismissing Ajay Chautala's appeal, but subsequently modified it stating that the court was not inclined to entertain the plea at this stage.

The initial order would have given finality to his conviction and sentence, but now his counsel could argue the case again in July when the SC would reopen after the summer vacation.

Chautala has been sentenced to 10-year jail in the case by the trial court, which was upheld by the Delhi Court.

The scam had taken place in the recruitment of about 3,000 teachers when his father OP Chautala was the Chief Minister.

OP Chautala has also been sentenced to 10 years in the case.

His appeal against his conviction was not listed for hearing today.

The SC also refused to grant any relief to a few other convicts in the case.

It said: “Neither notice has been issued on the appeals of Chautala and others, nor the petitions have been dismissed out rightly.”

The words "at this stage" in the order would keep Chautala's hopes alive for getting relief from the SC in the case.

In all, more than 50 persons have been convicted and sentenced to varying terms in the case.