OP Chautala says he shouldn’t be prosecuted alone
5 April 2013 7:47 AM IST
Former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, sentenced to 10 years' jail term in the JBT scam, on Thursday contended before the Delhi High Court that he alone cannot be prosecuted in the case as the entire cabinet had taken the decision on the recruitment of teachers.
Appearing for Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) chief Chautala who is seeking suspension of sentence, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi submitted before Justice Mukta Gupta that the cabinet had twice held meetings in 1999 on the teachers recruitment policy but only the Chief Minister was held responsible. ‘The trial court has failed to appreciate that it was the entire Council of Ministers which is responsible for a Cabinet decision and not any one minister.’
‘Only singling out Chautala merely because he is the chief minister is unfair,’ the lawyer also said. On 22 January, the trial court had convicted Chautala.
Appearing for Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) chief Chautala who is seeking suspension of sentence, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi submitted before Justice Mukta Gupta that the cabinet had twice held meetings in 1999 on the teachers recruitment policy but only the Chief Minister was held responsible. ‘The trial court has failed to appreciate that it was the entire Council of Ministers which is responsible for a Cabinet decision and not any one minister.’
‘Only singling out Chautala merely because he is the chief minister is unfair,’ the lawyer also said. On 22 January, the trial court had convicted Chautala.
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