JBT scam: SC judge recuses from hearing Ajay Chautala's plea

A Supreme Court judge today recused himself from hearing the petition of INlD leader Ajay Singh Chautala, who along with his father O P Chautala and three others, is serving a 10-year jail term in the teachers' recruitment scam case.

"I have appeared for some of the accused in the case," Justice U U lalit, who was sitting on the bench headed by Justice F M I Kalifulla, said.

Justice Kalifulla then adjourned the hearing on Chautala's bail plea and the appeal against the conviction and said that new date would be fixed on July 6.

Earlier, the court, which had refused to suspend the sentence and grant bail to Chautala, had asked him to file a plea for interim bail or parole on medical grounds.

The Delhi High Court on March 5 had upheld the 10-year jail term awarded to former Haryana Chief Minister O P Chautala, his son Ajay Chautala and three others, saying "the overwhelming evidence showed the shocking and spine-chilling state of affairs in the country".

Chautalas and 53 others including two IAS officers were convicted on January 16, 2013 by the trial court for illegally recruiting 3,206 junior basic trained (JBT) teachers in Haryana in 2000.

Besides Chautalas and whistleblower IAS officer Sanjiv Kumar, the then Director of Primary Education, the high court had also awarded 10 year jail term to IAS officer Vidya Dhar, then officer on special duty (OSD) to the Chief Minister, and Sher Singh Badshami, then MlA and political adviser to Chautala senior.

All the 55 convicts have been convicted and sentenced under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 418(cheating), 467 (forgery), 471 (using forged documents as genuine) of the IPC and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The high court had modified the trial court's order on the quantum of sentence and awarded two-year jail term to 50 other convicts.

Initially, there were 62 accused in the case. While two died before filing of the charge sheet, four died during the trial of the case and one was discharged by the trial court.