Chandigarh:
Former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala was today released from Delhi’s Tihar Jail. He was serving a 10-year term following a conviction in a teachers recruitment scam.
The 86-year-old President of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) was already out on parole, but reached Tihar on Friday to complete the formalities, following which he was released.
Mr Chautala, along with his son Ajay Chautala and 53 others, including IAS officer Sanjiv Kumar, was convicted of in a 2000 case of illegal recruitment of 3,206 junior basic teachers.
The former Chief Minister, sentenced in 2013, completed his prison term two months ahead of schedule on account of a special remission granted to around 20 convicts who had less than six months of their terms remaining.
The Tihar authorities had communicated that the Government of Delhi had passed an order regarding the special remission, according to Mr Chautala’s lawyer.
“It has been a battle to seek justice for Chautala. We had to approach the Delhi High Court on multiple occasions for his release. The Delhi High Court has reprimanded the Delhi government for not considering his early release despite his fulfilling all parameters,” lawyer Amit Sahni had said.
INLD, which has no MLAs in the current Haryana Assembly, will hope for a revival with Mr Chautala’s return. However, the veteran leader will not be able to contest elections for the next six years owing to his conviction.
Despite that, the four-time Chief Minister’s return is likely to boost the party’s chances given his charisma, oratory, and ability to turn crises into opportunities.
