Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) supremo and former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala was denied furlough (temporary release from jail) by Delhi’s Aam Aadmi Party government on Monday, just a week ahead of the January 28 Jind by-election.

Chautala, who is serving a 10-year jail term in Delhi’s Tihar jail in a teachers’ recruitment scam, was expected to come out on a three-week furlough on Tuesday.

Delhi government officials, who did not wish to be identified, confirmed that home minister Satyendar Jain had rejected Chautala’s furlough. The minister in his order reportedly noted that Chautala had applied for furlough for the by-election in Jind but it was denied, keeping in mind “the convict’s background and conduct adversely commented upon by courts in past instances.”

Two days ago, Chautala was admitted to Delhi’s LNJP hospital on health grounds. The INLD was expecting to bring him home from the hospital on Tuesday morning. However, on Monday, INLD president, Ashok Arora, said when they had gone to Tihar jail to fulfil the furlough bonds, jail authorities informed them about cancellation of his release.

He said the authorities gave no satisfactory reason for the action, though officials with knowledge of the matter said the furlough was denied as the INLD failed to complete required paperwork.

The denial of furlough to Chautala comes hours after Delhi’s ruling AAP announced its support to INLD’s rival Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) for the Jind bypoll.

The INLD attacked the JJP and AAP and accused the former’s Dushyant Chautala of backstabbing his own grandfather. “It is clear that AAP government in Delhi along with Dushyant and Digvijay have played a role in denial of furlough. They have stooped to a new low by doing this,” said Arora.

First Published: Jan 21, 2019 23:34 IST