Judge opts out of Ajay Chautala case

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, July 3

The Supreme Court could not hear INLD leader Ajay Singh Chautala’s appeal against his 10-year sentence today as Justice UU Lalit opted out of the case. Chautala has been sentenced for malpractices in the recruitment of about 3,000 junior basic trained (JBT) teachers in Haryana in 1999-2000 when his father, OP Chautala, was the Chief Minister.

Chautala’s appeal was posted for hearing today before a Bench comprising Justices FMI Kalifulla and Lalit. However, Justice Lalit said he was recusing from the case as he had been counsel for some of the accused in the case. On May 25, Justice Lalit had refused to hear OP Chautala’s appeal, citing the same reason. The 81-year-old former CM has also been sentenced to 10-year jail in the case.

Justice Kalifulla said he would decide on July 6 the next date for hearing in consultation with Chief Justice HL Dattu.

On May 15, a Bench of Justices Kalifulla and Shiva Kirti Singh had heard Ajay Singh Chautala’s appeal but it was not convinced of the need to interfere with the March 5, 2015, Delhi High Court verdict upholding the jail term. Nevertheless, it agreed to hear further arguments in the case. The CBI had prosecuted 62 politicians and officials in the case, six of whom died during the trial while one person was discharged by the trial court.