A special CBI court on Friday sentenced former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala to four-year jail term for a disproportionate asset case. The court also imposed Rs 50 lakh fine on Chautala and directed the CBI to confiscate his four properties. According to an FIR of CBI, the accused, while functioning as chief minister of Haryana during the period from July 24, 1999 to March 5, 2005, in collusion with his family members and others, had accumulated assets, immovable and movable, disproportionate to his known lawful sources of income.
In another case earlier, Chautala was in the Tihar Jail for 10 years and was released in 2021. Along with more than 50 others, he was charged with irregularities in connection with the appointment of 3,206 junior basic teachers in the state of Haryana during 1999-2000.
CBI charge sheet had mentioned that disproportionate assets were calculated to be Rs 6,09,79,026 and the percentage of DA (Disproportionate Assets) was 189.11% of his known sources of income. Accordingly, CBI had charge sheeted the accused for the offence under the relevant section of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Besides, the CBI accused him saying that Chautala accumulated enormous wealth and invested the same across the country in the shape of thousands of acres of land, multi-complexes, palatial residential houses, hotels, farmhouses, business agencies, petrol pumps and other investments apart from investments in foreign countries. As many as 43 immovable properties in all, apart from cash and jewellery were accumulated.
Apart from 43 alleged properties listed in the FIR, additional properties were also suspected to be of the accused family. An investigation with regard to additional properties was also conducted for ascertaining the link of the accused family with the said properties.
Special Judge Vikas Dhull last week had convicted Chautala and said the accused had failed to satisfactorily account for such dis-proportionality by proving his source of income or means by way of which, he acquired assets during his tenure as chief minister.
Reacting to the imprisonment of his father , Abhay Chautala said that they will now move to the High Court.
