Disproportionate assets case: Om Prakash Chautala sentenced to 4 years, fined Rs 50 lakh

Former Haryana Chief Minister and Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) supremo Om Prakash Chautala, convicted in a disproportionate assets case, was sentenced to four years imprisonment by a special CBI court at Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court on Friday. Along with this, the court has also imposed a fine of Rs 50 lakh on Chautala. The court has also directed the confiscation of four properties of Chautala.

The court of Special Judge Vikas Dhal at Rouse Avenue Court directed immediate custody of Om Prakash Chautala, who was present in the courtroom when the judgment was pronounced. Earlier last week, the court had convicted Chautala. The court has asked CBI to pay Rs 5 lakh out of the fine amount as trial expenses. At the same time, ten days were sought from Chautala to file an appeal against this decision. The court refused to grant him relief and said that he should file an appeal in this regard in the Delhi High Court.

Orders to confiscate four immovable properties

The court in its judgment has directed the CBI to confiscate the wrongly acquired immovable properties of Chautala at Hailey Road, Panchkula, Gurugram, and Asola. All these immovable properties will go to the government property account. Apart from this, the fine imposed on Chautala will also be deposited in the revenue.

what was the matter

According to the CBI FIR, accused Om Prakash Chautala, while serving as the Chief Minister of Haryana during the period July 24, 1999, to March 5, 2005, accumulated movable and immovable properties in connivance with his family members and others, Which was much more than his known legitimate sources of income. During the investigation, assets worth Rs 1,467 crore were found in the name of Chautala and his family.

According to the prosecution, the accused accumulated huge assets and made huge investments in foreign countries besides thousands of acres of land, multi complexes, palatial residential houses, hotels, farmhouses, business agencies, petrol pumps, and other investments across the country. The FIR also states that apart from cash and jewellery, a total of 43 immovable properties were deposited. Apart from the 43 alleged properties listed in the FIR, additional properties were also found suspected to be of the accused family.

The charge sheet filed in the court states that accused OP Chautala had acquired both immovable and movable properties which were disproportionate to his known source of income. The disproportionate assets were calculated to be Rs.6 crore 9 lakh 79 thousand 026, which was 189.11 percent more than their known sources of actual income. However, the court has ordered Chautala to take judicial custody to serve out his jail term.

Significantly, Special Judge Vikas Dhal, after hearing arguments on the sentence on Thursday, on behalf of Om Prakash Chautala and CBI lawyers, who were convicted of amassing assets disproportionate to the years 1993 to 2006, reserved the verdict till Friday. Had taken.

CBI had demanded maximum punishment

Chautala remained present in the courtroom during the sentencing. During the arguments on the sentence on Thursday, advocate Harsh Sharma, appearing for Chautala, cited old age and illness to give the minimum punishment and said that Chautala is infected with polio since birth and is partially disabled. However, CBI counsel Ajay Gupta had opposed the plea of ​​​​the concession made by Chautala's counsel on grounds of health and age.

The CBI urged the court that maximum punishment should be given to Chautala as it would send a message to society. In this case, the accused is a public figure, and giving minimum punishment will send a wrong message to society. They don't have a clean history. This is the second case in which he has been convicted. The court last week held Chautala guilty, saying he had failed to give a satisfactory account of having acquired assets disproportionate to his known source of income.

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