Chautala gets access to Teja Khera farmhouse in Haryana for wedding of grandsons

Former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala’s family has finally got access to their farmhouse at Teja Khera village in Dabwali tehsil of Sirsa district from November 23 to December 7 to organise the wedding of his grandsons this month-end.

The appellate tribunal for the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on Thursday directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to de-seal the Teja Khera farmhouse by November 23 and hand over its possession to the Chautala family for the limited purpose of holding the wedding of the grandsons of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader.

The counsel for the Chautalas has given an undertaking that the possession of the attached property will be handed back to the ED by December 7.

The Punjab and Haryana high court had on Tuesday allowed the ED plea, challenging the tribunal’s October 20 order to de-seal the property for a month. The high court bench of justice AG Masih asked the appellate tribunal for a fresh decision.

Om Prakash Chautala’s son Abhay Singh Chautala had sought permission from the tribunal to use the farmhouse for the wedding of his two sons on November 27 and 30.

The initial tribunal order said that the farmhouse be de-sealed from November 6 to December 7. The high court stayed the tribunal order on November 6.

The farmhouse has been sealed by the ED in view of the ongoing probe against Om Prakash Chautala for money laundering.

The ED had told the high court that there is no provision in the PMLA to de-seal an attached property connected with the proceeds of crime even temporarily. In case it is allowed, it would set a wrong precedent that would be exploited by the accused to enjoy the proceeds of crime till the decision is rendered by the appellate tribunal, the ED had argued.