JBT scam: Delhi High Court grants month''s parole to Ajay Chautala

New Delhi, November 28

The Delhi High Court on Monday granted a month's parole to INLD leader Ajay Chautala, who is serving a 10-year jail term in a teachers' recruitment scam case, for maintaining "social ties" but restrained him from taking part in political activity.

Justice AK Pathak also restricted Ajay's movement, while directing him not to leave Delhi without permission from the authorities concerned.

"The petitioner is granted one month's parole. During this period, he will not move out of Delhi and will also restrain himself from participating in any of his or other political parties' rally," the court said.

It said the relief is granted to "re-establish his ties with the society and the family members".

The court's order came on Chautala's plea seeking two months' parole to allow him "return to the mainstream".

The convict in his plea for parole filed through advocate Amit Sahni, had contended that the Delhi Government's 2010 guidelines were framed to achieve the objectives of parole, to enhance continuity with family members, to maintain a minimum level of self-worth and confidence, for a positive attitude and interest in life and to protect social ties.

The advocate had argued that law was well settled that grant of parole to a convict is an integral part of correctional process.

"It is a kind of consideration granted to the prisoners to help them to come back into the mainstream of life. It is nothing but an instrument of social rehabilitation of the prisoner. Still further it is equally settled that the release on parole is expected to provide opportunity to the prisoner to transform himself into a useful citizen," the plea had said.

The Supreme Court on August 3 last year had dismissed appeals by Chautala and his father, OP Chautala, challenging the high court's verdict upholding their conviction and sentence of 10 years awarded by a trial court in the junior basic trained (JBT) teachers recruitment scam case.

The high court had on March 5, 2015, upheld the 10-year jail term awarded to Chautalas and three others, saying: "The overwhelming evidence showed the shocking and spine-chilling state of affairs in the country".

The father-son duo and 53 others, including two IAS officers, were among 55 persons convicted on January 16, 2013, by the trial court for illegally recruiting 3,206 JBT teachers in Haryana in 2000. — PTI