Court asks Delhi Govt to respond to Chautala’s plea

New Delhi, January 30

The Delhi High Court has asked the AAP government to respond to a plea by former Haryana Chief Minister OP Chautala claiming that his prayer for early release from jail in a teachers’ recruitment scam has not been considered by the authorities despite a judicial order.

Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar asked the Delhi Government to file its response on the plea and listed the matter for further hearing on February 28.

The INLD chief, who is 84 and lodged in Tihar Jail to serve a 10-year jail term in the JBT scam, has been seeking special remission on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary as notified by the Central Government. The high court had on December 18, 2019 asked the Delhi government to consider afresh Chautala’s plea for early release. It had set aside the state’s April 3, 2019 order of rejecting of his plea.

Advocate Amit Sahni, appearing for Chautala, argued that despite the December 18 directions of the court, the Delhi Government has not decided the case for special remission and the state cannot prolong it indefinitely. He said the government was asked to comply with the order in two weeks, but it has not been complied with it even after 40 days and sought direction to the authorities to do so.

Delhi Government standing counsel (criminal) Rahul Mehra submitted that in view of upcoming elections in the National Capital, the model code of conduct was in force and the state level committee would examine Chautala’s case after the new government is formed.— PTI