The Delhi High Court today issued notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation on the plea by former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala challenging the judgment of the Delhi CBI Court which had convicted him in a Disproportionate Asset Case and sentenced him to four years imprisonment.

The Single Judge Bench of Justice Yogesh Khanna while issuing notice heard the counsel appearing for the former CM who submitted that although the sentence awarded to Chautala by the trial court was to incarcerate him for 4 years, Chautala has already been in jail for 5 years and six months.

The Counsel for Chautala further contended that any further incarceration of Chautala would be in violation of the judgments of the Supreme Court.

Delhi Court Special CBI Judge had on 27th May convicted O. P. Chautala for the offence of having Disproportionate Asset under Section 13(1)(e) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The CBI had filed a Disproportionate Case against Chautala in the year 2005 in which CBI had accused him of amassing assets during the years 1993 to 2005 amounting to Rs. 2.18 crores.

The Trial Court had while passing the sentence against him observed that there has been a rise in the cases where public servants are misusing their official positions to amass assets. The Court had also observed that the maxim "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely" suits the case of O. P. Chautala.

Delhi HCO P ChautalaCBI

Deepankar Malviya