HC suspends OP Chautala’s 4-year sentence in disproportionate assets case 

The high court considered the age of Om Prakash Chautala while granting him bail

The Delhi High Court has suspended the four-year sentence awarded to former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala during the pendency of his appeal against the conviction in a disproportionate assets (DA) case.

Justice Yogesh Khanna while granting bail to the 88-year-old politician said that the suspension of four-year sentence was subject to him paying a fine of ₹50 lakh as well as the execution of a personal bond of ₹5 lakh with one surety of like amount.

The high court noted that although Mr. Chautala was granted bail in the present case and furnished the bail bonds but he remained in custody and was never released from jail because of the sentence awarded in another case.

The high court considered the age of Mr. Chautala while granting him bail and also noted that he has admittedly spent about one year and six months in custody in this case. It also factored in the fact that the appeal might take some time to come on board for a hearing.

“The appellant [Mr. Chautala] shall not visit abroad except with the permission of the Trial Court,” the high court said in its order released on Wednesday.

In his plea seeking suspension of sentence, Mr. Chautala’s counsel stated that he is suffering from post-polio disability.

On May 27, a trial court here convicted Mr. Chautala and awarded a four-year jail term to him while also imposing a fine of ₹50 lakh for acquiring disproportionate assets from 1993 to 2006.