CBI raids Chautala properties over job scam

The CBI move followed a Supreme Court directive to the agency to probe the case after Sanjeev Kumar, an IAS officer in the state’s Primary Education Department, had sought judicial intervention, virtually blowing the lid off the Junior Basic Teachers (JBT) recruitment scandal.

The agency also raided properties allegedly owned by Congress MLA Karan Singh Dalal, Haryana IAS officer Dr Harbaksh Singh—an aide of Chautala before the reportedly fell out—and a few former aides of the ex-CM, including Sher Singh Badshami and Vidya Dhar.

While admitting that some documents were sealed at their Sirsa house, Ajay Chautala accused the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government of ‘‘playing dirty’’. ‘‘They play dirty and we were aware of it after seeing the Congress rule in Punjab and fate of former CM Parkash Singh Badal. We knew they would indulge in such activities,’’ he said.

However, Haryana CM Hooda said there was no political conspiracy behind the raids. ‘‘There is no external interference,’’ said Hooda.

According to Sirsa police chief K K Rao, the CBI did not take local police into confidence while carrying out the raids.

An ailing Om Prakash Chautala had his back to the wall when properties in Sirsa and House No. 80 in Sector 9, Chandigarh—under construction and allegedly owned by his family—were raided by a 20-member CBI team from Delhi assisted by the agency’s Chandigarh unit.

However, the raids against MLA Dalal triggered intense speculation in political circles as the Congress leader had been claiming to have ‘‘exposed’’ the omissions and commissions of the Chautala government. Said Dalal: ‘‘I am really surprised. The CBI has credibility, no doubt. But should my house be searched? The CBI has seized hundreds of documents, including the Congress ‘chargesheet’ that I used to expose the Chautala government. I would have happily given away any of these papers.’’

The CBI raids were triggered by a scandal that dates back to 1999-2000 when the state advertised for 3,206 JBT teacher posts. Consequently, Chautala, who ousted Bansi Lal from the CM’s post, dissolved the selection commission and set up a fresh three-member panels.

These panels submitted their lists in 2000, which Chautala allegedly sought to replace with his own. And it was for this purpose that he allegedly ‘‘brought’’ Sanjeev Kumar into the Primary Education Department. But Kumar went on leave after releasing the original list.