New Delhi: Delhi High Court on Thursday said that former Haryana Chief Minister O P Chautala cheated the youth of the state for which he deserved punishment of the "highest kind".
"It may be argued that A-4 (Chautala) being an aged person, towards the tail end of his political career should be shown some mercy. It is for this very reason that I do not agree with this submission.
"The man was the Chief Minister of Haryana, capable of much hope and an inspiration to the youth of the State. Cheating them of their future deserves punishment of the highest kind," Justice Siddharth Mridul said.
The court observed that the appellant committee members were also mostly senior citizens, respectable teachers, either retired from government service or nearing retirement, and "Chautala has played a role in sharing their guilt as well."
"I am convinced that execution of this entire employment scam required certain crucial policy decisions that could be effected only with the approval of A-4 (Chautala)," the judge said.
While holding that Chautala was actively involved in the conspiracy and that the chain of circumstantial evidence pointed to his guilt, the judge said it could not be believed that the scam of such a magnitude was enforced without his approval or consent.
"I find it difficult to believe that he was in complete ignorance about the events which were transpiring around him or it was a sheer innocuous coincidence that his key aides A-1 (Vidya Dhar), A-2(Sher Singh Badshami) as well as his son A-5 (Ajay) were getting enforced a scam of such vast magnitude ...Without his approval/directions/consent," the judge said.
