New Delhi, The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to list for urgent hearing a 2016 PIL seeking directions to ensure speedy disposal of criminal cases involving lawmakers across the country.
“This concerns expeditious trial of criminal cases against MPs and MLAs. Almost 40 percent of the legislators are facing criminal cases. Hansaria, in his latest report on criminalisation of politics, said 251 members out of 543 in the Lok Sabha and 75 lawmakers out of 233 in the Rajya Sabha have criminal cases against them. The affidavit filed in the apex court by Hansaria, who has been appointed amicus curiae in a PIL seeking expeditious disposal of criminal cases against MPs and MLAs, said there are over 4,000 criminal cases against Members of Parliament and Members of Legislative Assemblies . The affidavit stated that the chief ministers of 14 states, out of 28, have declared criminal cases, including serious ones. Telangana Chief Minister Anumula Revanth Reddy has 89 cases against him, followed by West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who has 29 cases, and Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who has 19 cases, according to the data.
It has to be listed urgently and some immediate directions are needed,” Hansaria said, adding a three-judge bench can hear the case in pursuance of an earlier direction. “Yes, it will be listed,” the CJI said.
