Jailed Ex-Haryana CM Chautala Bags First Division in Class XII

Chautala senior now plans to pursue an undergraduate course.

Former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala. (Photo: Reuters)

Former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala might currently be lodged in Tihar Jail after being convicted in the teachers’ recruitment scam, but he has managed to ace the Class XII board examination at the age of 82.

According to an Indian Express report, the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) chief appeared for the exams, which are held by the National Institute of Open Learning, at Tihar Jail in April.

His younger son Abhay told IE that Chautala senior was out on parole last month for his grandson’s wedding, but went back to jail to take the test. He received an “A grade”, he further said.

He decided to utilise his jail term more meaningfully. Now, he goes to the jail library daily, where he reads newspapers and books. He asks the jail staff to arrange for his favourite books. He reads books about great politicians across the world. Sometime, he asks us to send course books also.

Abhay Chautala to <i>IE</i>

The former CM now plans to pursue an undergraduate course.

Chautala, his son Ajay and 53 others were sentenced to ten years in prison by a Delhi court in 2013 for illegally recruiting 3,216 junior basic teachers in Haryana.