Sat Dec 21 16:12:46 UTC 2024: ## Veteran Haryana Leader Om Prakash Chautala Passes Away at 89

**Gurgaon, India –** Five-time Chief Minister of Haryana and prominent Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader Om Prakash Chautala passed away at his Gurgaon residence on [Date of Death] at the age of 89 following a cardiac arrest.

Chautala, born on January 1, 1935, enjoyed a long and impactful, albeit controversial, political career. His five terms as Chief Minister, spanning from 1989 to 2005, were punctuated by periods of both power and legal challenges. He served multiple non-consecutive terms, with some cut short due to political instability.

In 2013, Chautala and his son Ajay Singh Chautala were convicted in a major teacher recruitment scam, resulting in a 10-year prison sentence. They were found guilty of illegally hiring over 3,000 teachers. Chautala was released prematurely in 2021 after serving nine and a half years. Further legal troubles ensued in 2022, with a four-year sentence and a 50 lakh rupee fine for possessing disproportionate assets. At 87, this made him the oldest prisoner in Tihar Jail.

The son of former Haryana Chief Minister Devi Lal, Chautala last won the Haryana Assembly elections in 2009. His political legacy is complex, with his son Ajay Singh Chautala establishing a separate party, the Janata Jannayak Party, in 2019, while Abhay Singh Chautala currently leads the INLD. The Chautala family’s influence on Haryana politics remains significant, with grandsons holding both Assembly and Lok Sabha seats.

Chautala is survived by two sons and three daughters.

Read More