VMYF News Digest: Chautala, son, 51 others sent to jail for job scam

Chautala, son, 51 others sent to jail for job scam

Smriti Singh TNN

New Delhi: Twelve years after the illegal recruitment of 3,200-odd junior teachers in Haryana, the law caught up with former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala, his son Ajay and 51 others on Wednesday with a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court convicting them of acts of corruption and cheating.
    The high-profile trial ended with Chautala behind bars as judge Vinod Kumar held the 78-year-old Indian National Lok Dal leader the “main conspirator” behind the scam that grabbed nationwide notice for its scope and brazenness. Chautala and others, including two IAS officers, were sent to Tihar Jail.
    The conviction has implications for Haryana politics as the ruling Congress government has been at the receiving end of corruption allegations about illegal land allotments to influential persons. The conviction of a major opposition figure for corruption levels the playing field somewhat.
    Those sent to jail were convicted of offences of cheating, forgery, using fake documents and conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code and abuse of their official position under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The court will announce the quantum of sentence on January 22. Whistleblower jailed too
New Delhi: Commenting on the blatant manner in which the appointments were manipulated, the court noted that Chautala had called the then director of education Sanjiv Kumar to change the list of successful candidates as the government had gained majority and did not need to accommodate the interests of MLAs from supporting parties.
    While Kumar was seen as a whistleblower, he was made aco-accused and has been convicted in the case. The former CM’s son, Ajay, is currently an MLA and is also facing trial in a disproportionate assets case.
    In course of arguments, the CBI claimed each aspirant teacher paid a bribe of Rs 3-4 lakh and that Chautala, who held the education portfolio, gave written instructions to Kumar to replace original list.
    The court held that in 2000, Chautala senior and his son conspired with others to illegally recruit 3,206 junior basic trained (JBT) teachers. Initially, 62 accused were named but six died during the trial while one was discharged.
    Ajay Chautala was then an MP, who was in regular touch with Kumar over the recruitment lists. Among the 55 convicted are Sanjiv Kumar, Chautala's former OSD Vidya Dhar, both IAS officers, political adviser to then Haryana CM Sher Singh Badshami and 16 women officials.
    The scam came to light after Kumar, a 1989 batch IAS officer, filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court alleging that the Chautala had resorted to corrupt practices while recruiting teachers in 2000. SC handed the case to the CBI, which over the course of a four-year probe, raided Chautala’s premises and grilled him and his sons. After the investigations, the CBI also made Kumar an accused in the case. The prosecution alleged that the convicts had appointed 3,206 JBT teachers in the state during 1999-2000. In its chargesheet, the agency claimed that its probe established that a conspiracy on making a second list was hatched at Haryana Bhawan in the capital by calling the chairpersons and members of the district-level selection committees of 18 districts.
    The court said that first IAS officer R P Chander, a CBI witness, who was the then director of primary education, had given a proposal for declaring the results of successful candidates in April 2000, but he was transferred the next day itself. Subsequently, IAS officer Rajni Shekri Sibal, also a CBI witness, was brought in at Chander’s place and she was asked by accused Badshami and Vidya Dhar to change the award lists in the presence of Ajay, it said.
    “When Rajni recommended compilation of results vide her note sheet of June 20, 2000, she was also transferred and Sanjiv Kumar was appointed in her place,” the court said.
    The defence counsel claimed Sibal was testifying falsely as she was a close relative of Union telecom minister Kapil Sibal and had links with Congress leaders. Dismissing the contention, the court said, “Had she (Sibal) been playing in the hands of Congress leaders, nothing stopped her from directly implicating the CM. She was an officer senior enough having an opportunity to meet the CM off and on... Therefore, the allegation against her that she is playing in the hands of Congress leaders namely Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Kapil Sibal does not hold.... I am of the opinion that she is not only a truthful witness but Ifind that she was the only person who had enough courage to withstand the political pressures exerted upon them.”
    Regarding the role of the then MP Ajay Chautala, the court said he was in constant touch with Sanjiv Kumar in 2000 when the fake award list was being prepared. “Ajay had a stake in the parliamentary constituency of district Bhiwani and the final result shows that the candidates selected from that district far exceeded the vacancies of that district. Thus, Ajay Chautala stands fully proved to be conspiring in this scam,” it said.
LONG ARM OF LAW CATCHES UP 1999-2000 | Haryana govt appoints 3,200 junior basic teachers 2003 | PIL filed before SC against then CM Chautala alleging corruption in the appointments. IAS officer Sanjiv Kumar also files petition. CBI says Chautala accepted Rs 3-4 lakh from each candidate and asked Kumar to replace the original list Nov 25, 2003 | On SC directive, CBI registers case of criminal conspiracy, cheating & forgery Jun 6, 2008 | CBI files chargesheet Jan 16, 2013 | CBI court convicts Chautala, son Ajay and 53 others, including whistleblower Kumar. Sentence to be pronounced on January 22