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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | ‘Disturbed’ SC for fast-track trial of tainted MPs

‘Disturbed’ SC for fast-track trial of tainted MPs

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published Published on Nov 5, 2011   modified Modified on Nov 5, 2011

-The Telegraph

 

The Supreme Court today described as “disturbing” a claim that 162 of the 543 Lok Sabha members face criminal cases, and issued notices to the central and state governments on a petition seeking to have these cases fast-tracked.

The public interest litigation wants speedy trials of all accused lawmakers — MPs and state legislators — so that they “can clear their name (or) face the consequences of past criminal acts”.

“Your statement is that 162 of the 543 MPs are facing criminal cases,” a two-judge bench told petitioner India Rejuvenation Initiative, adding that this was “disturbing” if true.

The court noted that some of the MPs were implicated in very serious crimes.

Justice P. Sathasivam, hearing the petition with Justice J. Chelameswar, observed that Rs 75 crore had been allotted last year to set up fast-track courts.

“When such courts are available, why don’t they give priority to such cases?” the court said.

It then issued notices to the Union law ministry, state governments, Election Commission and the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha secretariats, seeking their replies.

The petition seeks a direction to the Election Commission and all governments to transfer all such cases to fast-track courts or special courts and to appoint independent investigators.

“Such persons (the accused lawmakers) contaminate the socio-political fabric of India whereby the constituents of life and personal liberty of citizens suffer serious damage and lead to a serious weakening of the entire system,” it says.

Among the petitioners are former chief election commissioner J.M. Lyngdoh, former Punjab police chief Julio F. Ribeiro, former Air Chief Marshal S. Krishnaswamy and several retired directors-general of police, bureaucrats and academics.

The petition quotes extensively from the reports of committees that suggested electoral reforms to curb criminalisation of politics, such as the Tarkunde committee (1975), Goswami committee (1990), N.N. Vohra committee (1993) and the Indrajit Gupta committee (1998), as well as the Election Commission recommendations of 1998.

Some steps have been taken following these panels’ reports, the petition says, referring to candidates being made to reveal their criminal records in their poll papers. But, it adds, the Election Commission should have moved against other “dirty malpractices” too.

“Refraining from taking strong action has also contributed to the present mess,” the petition says.

It claims that between the 2004 and 2009 general elections, the number of MPs facing criminal cases rose by 17 per cent and the number of those facing serious criminal charges rose by over 30 per cent.

The Initiative had earlier challenged the appointment of P.C. Thomas as chief vigilance commissioner and raised the issues of black money and the cash-for-votes scam.


The Telegraph, 5 November, 2011, http://telegraphindia.com/1111105/jsp/nation/story_14711528.jsp


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