HC orders setting up of medical board to examine Chautala

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Thursday ordered setting up of a medical board to examine the health condition of former Haryana Minister Om Prakash Chautala, who along with 54 others is serving a jail term in the 2000 teachers' recruitment scam.

Justice Siddharth Mridul asked the Director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences ( AIIMS) to constitute a board which will examine 78-year-old Chautala, chief of Indian National Lok Dal ( INLD), and submit its report on May 21.

The medical board will comprise a doctor of Tihar Jail and one specialist each from AIIMS, RML Hospital and GB Pant Hospital here.

The order came after the counsel for Chautala sought bail on the ground of various ailments of the former Haryana CM.

Senior advocate U U Lalit, appearing for Chautala, referred to a medical report of AIIMS and said, "He deserved to be released on bail on medical grounds as he is suffering from various ailments including heart and cervical problems".

The court has now posted the matter for further hearing on May 21.

Meanwhile, the court allowed co-convict Durga Dutt Pradhan to attend a marriage function in his family on May 18 and asked the Delhi Police to accompany him during his outing.

The bail petitions of Chautala and others had been listed before as many as three judges who recused themselves without giving any reason.

Earlier, Chautala had moved the high court challenging his conviction and suspension of 10-year jail term in Junior Basic Trained (JBT) Teachers scam.

On January 22, the trial court had convicted and sentenced Chautala and nine others, including his son Ajay Chautala, to 10 years jail term for illegally recruiting 3,206 junior teachers in 2000.

Among other convicts, 44 have been sentenced to four- years jail term and one was sentenced to five-year jail term in the case.

They all were held guilty of cheating, forgery, using fake documents as genuine, conspiracy under the IPC and for abusing their official position under the Prevention of Corruption Act.