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HC seeks CBI`s response on Om Prakash Chautala`s plea for interim bail

Delhi High Court on Monday sought CBI`s response on former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala`s plea, seeking six weeks interim bail to attend funeral and perform the other rituals of his younger brother Pratap Singh Chautala, who died yesterday.

New Delhi: Delhi High Court on Monday sought CBI`s response on former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala`s plea, seeking six weeks interim bail to attend funeral and perform the other rituals of his younger brother Pratap Singh Chautala, who died yesterday. Justice Kailash Gambhir asked CBI to verify what ceremonies are required to be performed by Chautala and directed it to file a status report tomorrow afternoon when the court will hear the matter. The 79-year-old Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader has sought six weeks bail to attend the funeral as well as to perform the other related rituals/ceremonies. However, CBI opposed the grant of six weeks interim bail saying the 79-year-old Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) has already been allowed to attend the funeral, in police custody, and perform the last rites of his younger brother. The agency also said Chautala has already on May 30 sought regular bail on which the high court has issued notice to CBI and sought its reply by July 11, when the plea will be heard. Senior advocate Hariharan and advocate Amit Sahni, appearing for Chautala, contended that this is an application seeking interim bail as the INLD leader is the head of the family and thus, has to perform several rites associated with the funeral. Justice Gambhir questioned what ceremonies are to be performed over six weeks time and said if Chautala wants, 3-4 days can be granted right now. Hariharan, however, sought bail till June 14 when the 13 days of mourning will be over. The matter was mentioned today in the high court which agreed to hear it during the day. On May 30, the high court had issued notice to CBI seeking its reply by July 11 on OP Chautala`s plea for regular bail citing his ill health. The court, meanwhile, had extended till July 4 the interim bail of Chautala`s MLA-son Ajay Singh Chautala, who has been sentenced along with his father in teachers` recruitment scam. It had also extended till July 4 the bail of INLD MLA Sher Singh Badshami and O P Chautala`s former Officer on Special Duty Vidya Dhar till July 4. The bail of all the three was extended on health grounds. The court also directed them to submit reports regarding their medical status on July 4. It, however, had provided no relief to Sanjiv Kumar, an IAS officer who has been convicted in the case and directed his counsel to file a fresh application for availing bail. OP Chautala, in his regular bail plea had contended that he is a physically disabled senior citizen having 60 per cent permanent disability. The 79-year-old politician had contended in his plea that he is suffering from diabetes as well as chronic obstructive airway disease and is prone to both respiratory and cardiac failures. On January 22, 2013, a special CBI court had sentenced Ajay Chautala, Om Prakash Chautala and eight others, including Vidya Dhar and Badshami, to 10 years jail term for illegally recruiting 3,206 junior teachers in the year 2000. Among other convicts, 44 have been sentenced to four years in jail and one to five-year jail term. All of them were held guilty of cheating, forgery, using fake documents as genuine, conspiracy under IPC and for abusing their official position under Prevention of Corruption Act.