Former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala

Om Prakash Chautala, age 79, has shown remarkable vigor and stamina, traipsing across his home state of Haryana to ask voters that they back him in next week's election.However, his star turns at huge rallies render implausible the illnesses that he cited when he requested - and was granted - bail.So Mr Chautala has been summoned tomorrow by the Delhi High Court to explain what he's doing away from the private Medanta hospital, where he was admitted in June.The CBI, which investigated Mr Chautala in a corruption case, asked the court to cancel the politician's bail urgently. The judge asked why, given Mr Chautala's high-profile meetings in Haryana (he vowed at one to take the oath as Chief Minister from Tihar Jail), the CBI had not arrested him."We made our efforts, but look at his arrogance," the CBI replied, somewhat plaintively.Last year, the man who has served four times as Chief Minister of Haryana was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in jail for corruption in the recruitment of teachers when he was in power in 1999.Mr Chautala was allowed to leave prison in May for an alleged heart condition; he is meant to return to prison in Delhi on October 17, two days after Haryana votes.The CBI wants the court to demand an explanation from top doctors at the super-speciality and famous Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon near Delhi to explain why the patient was allowed to head out on September 25.

"Chautala had not come to us in CBI custody. He came to us as a normal patient...if a patient wants to leave, we can't make him stay back against his will," said Dr Naresh Trehan, Chairman and Managing Director of Medanta.While the case against him was being heard in Delhi, Mr Chautala was, ironically, addressing a rally.