CHANDIGARH: Former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala who was undergoing sentence in Tihar Jail since 2013 following his conviction in the JBT teacher recruitment scam will soon be out of jail.
The Delhi government has granted him a special remission of six months — given to convicts who are sentenced for 10 years’ jail and have completed six months of custody.
Although the 10-year jail term of O P Chautala, who was convicted in January 2013, would have been over in 2023, he has spent nine years and six months in jail, taking into account various remissions granted to him every year.
Chautala is currently out of jail on parole.
A communication from Central Jail No 3, Tihar, says, “It is informed that the convict Om Prakash Chautala s/o Devi Lal has completed his sentence and he is eligible for special remission..
No respite for Ajay OP Chautala’s son Ajay Chautala and other senior officials who were convicted along with him would not get relief under the policy.
Sources said that Ajay Chautala has remained out of jail on various grounds and would not be entitled for special remission.
INLD supremo will have to surrender before formal release The jail missive also mentioned,”The said convict is eligible for remission and will be finally released whenever he formally surrenders before the jail authority.” With this, Chautala’s release is merely a formality.
On January 22, 2013, a special CBI court Delhi had sentenced Chautala and his son Ajay Chautala to 10 years’ imprisonment for committing irregularities in the selection of teachers.
The court had also convicted 53 others, including two IAS officers and other officials of education department Haryana.
The conviction of the accused in this case was upheld by the Delhi high court as well as the Supreme Court.
The sentence awarded to the education department officials, however, was reduced by the Delhi high court.
Disproportionate assets case Senior Chautala is also facing a case under the prevention of money laundering act (PMLA), which was registered against him and other members of his family on the basis of a CBI FIR according to which the Chautala family had amassed huge wealth from 1993-2006 disproportionate to their known sources of income.
According to the allegations, Chautala senior had acquired immovable properties at New Delhi, Panchkula and Sirsa during that period from the money allegedly received from unknown sources.
In that case, some of the properties of the Chautala family have been seized by the ED and the trial is currently pending before a special ED court.
Even in this case, Chautala has already undergone a significant period inside the jail along with his conviction in the JBT teachers’ scam.
According to the legal expert, even if he is convicted, he would be released as he has already undergone the jail term.