The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought a response from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on a plea filed by the legal heirs of late former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala.
His family has requested to be made parties in the appeal against his conviction in a disproportionate assets (DA) case.
Justice Ravinder Dudeja issued a notice to the CBI and fixed September 15 as the next date of hearing.
Heirs Seek To Continue Chautala’s Appeal
The petitioners, who are Chautala’s legal heirs, argued that they wish to pursue the appeal originally filed by him during his lifetime. The plea pointed out that Chautala passed away on December 20, 2024, in Gurugram, Haryana. At the time of his death, his four-year sentence had already been suspended by the high court.
Suspension Of Sentence & Bail
On August 3, 2022, the Delhi High Court granted Chautala bail by suspending his sentence. The suspension, however, was conditional on the payment of a fine of ₹50 lakh, which had been imposed by the trial court. The court had also directed him to furnish a personal bond and surety.
Earlier, on May 27, 2022, the trial court had convicted Chautala, sentencing him to four years in prison and imposing a fine of ₹50 lakh. The charges pertained to the acquisition of disproportionate assets between 1993 and 2006. Following this judgment, Chautala approached the high court seeking suspension of his sentence, which was later granted.
CBI’s Case Against Chautala
The disproportionate assets case dates back to 2005, when the CBI filed a chargesheet on March 26, 2010. The central agency alleged that between 1993 and 2006, Chautala had amassed assets far exceeding his legitimate sources of income.
According to the CBI’s FIR, Chautala, while serving as the Chief Minister of Haryana from July 24, 1999, to March 5, 2005, “in collusion with his family members and others, accumulated assets, immovable and movable, disproportionate to his known lawful sources of income, in his name, in the names of his family members.”
What Lies Ahead
With the appeal pending before the high court and Chautala no longer alive, the legal heirs now want to step in to contest the case and protect his legacy. The court will examine their request after hearing the CBI’s response on September 15.
The case, one of the most high-profile disproportionate assets trials in Haryana’s political history, is expected to see further developments as the court decides whether Chautala’s heirs can legally pursue the appeal.
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