The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has recommended registration of a corruption case against the former Haryana chief minister Om Parkash Chautala for alleged irregularities in selection of candidates to the state Civil Services Executive Branch in 2003-04, the Supreme Court was informed on Wednesday. A bench headed by Justice Altamas Kabir will examine the report on 10 October.
In a status report recently submitted before the bench, the CBI has also recommended similar proceedings against ex-transport minister Ashok Kumar Arora, Sunil Ahuja, the then chief secretary, B D Dhalia, the then private secretary to the chief minister, K C Sharma, the then revenue secretary and a few other people.
According to the agency, the preliminary enquiry conducted by it showed that Chautala had arbitrarily raised the age limit from 45 to 50 and reduced the minimum work experience from five to three years with a 'deliberate intent, with the sole objective of favouring certain candidates as part of a criminal conspiracy'.