NEW DELHI, May 27: In a rare instance, a special CBI court has directed former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala to pay Rs 5 lakh to the agency in “defraying the expenses incurred” in the investigation and prosecution of a disproportionate assets case against him, in which he has been sentenced to four years in prison, officials said.
The court said in fixing the fine amount with regard to the offence under section 13(1)(e) read with section 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, it has to give due consideration to the pecuniary resources acquired by the convict for which he is unable to account for satisfactorily.
The court said in the present case, of the total disproportionate assets of Rs 2.81 crore, assets worth Rs 2.48 crore have been confiscated and only the balance of Rs 32.5 lakh is required to be considered in fixing the amount of fine.
“Therefore, this court, while exercising its power…Imposes a fine of Rs 50 lakh on the convict. Out of the said fine, Rs 5 Lakh shall be given to the CBI in defraying the expenses incurred in the prosecution and investigation. In the event of default in the payment of fine, the convict shall further undergo simple imprisonment for six months,” the court said.
“I have not heard of a convict in a corruption case being directed by the court to pay for the costs incurred on the investigation. It is a welcome move,” an official said.
Announcing the quantum of sentence, the special judge for CBI cases sentenced Chautala on Friday to undergo four years of rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs 50 lakh for possessing disproportionate assets.
“A case was registered on April 3, 2006 against Om Prakash Chautala and others on the allegations that while functioning as the chief minister of Haryana during the period from July 24, 1999 to March 5, 2005, in collusion with his family members and others, he had accumulated assets, immovable and movable, disproportionate to his known sources of income, in his name and in the name of his family members and others,” Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) spokesperson Joshi said.
The agency had filed a chargesheet against Chautala on March 26, 2010.
“The extent of disproportionate assets was around Rs 6.09 crore or 189.11 per cent of his income. The trial court found the accused guilty of possessing disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 2.81 crore (103 per cent) and convicted him on May 21, 2022,” the agency spokesperson said. (PTI)
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