More Than Thousand MPs and MLAs Are Facing Trials in 3,045 Criminal Cases
Image Courtesy: NEWS18
A number of 1,765 MPs and MLAs are facing trials in 3,045 criminal cases pending in different courts across the country, according to an affidavit submitted by the Centre to the Supreme Court. The figure does not include information regarding lawmakers from Maharashtra and Goa.
In December 2017, the apex court ordered the Centre to specify the number of disposed and pending cases against lawmakers while hearing a PIL filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, which sought a lifelong ban on politicians convicted in criminal cases from contesting in elections. Accordingly, the Union law ministry compiled the information received from 23 high courts and different state governments. The Centre told that the information on MPs and MLAs from Maharashtra and Goa states is yet to be received.
As per the Centre's affidavit, in the last three years, out of 3816 criminal cases registered against MPs and MLAs, trails in only 771 cases were completed, leaving 3,045 cases still in pending. The statistics reveal that a 2014 Supreme Court order has been breached which directed that such cases should be disposed within a year.
With 248 MPs and MLAs facing charges in 539 pending cases, Uttar Pradesh tops the list followed by 178 lawmakers in Tamil Nadu, 144 in Bihar, 139 in West Bengal, 132 in Andhra Pradesh and 114 in Kerala. Whereas in Manipur and Mizoram, no case has been lodged against any MP or MLA.
Special Fast-Track Courts:
In November 2017, the Supreme Court ordered the Centre to set up special fast-track courts exclusively to deal with the cases against lawmakers. In pursuance, when the Centre sought responses from the state governments in this regard, so far, eleven states have submitted their decisions. The states are Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
Earlier the central government told the court that 12 special courts were to be set up and more than Rs 7.8 Crores was allocated to 11 states under this scheme.
The Election Commission of India had earlier supported the plea seeking a lifelong ban on politicians convicted in criminal cases and recommended the same to the central government.
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