English हिन्दी
Connect with us

India News

Criminals as Lawmakers: Special courts to try criminal cases pending against MPs, MLAs

Published

8 years ago

on

Criminals as Lawmakers: Special courts to try criminal cases pending against MPs, MLAs

In a case seeking ban on law breakers becoming law makers, the Centre told the Supreme Court on Tuesday, Dec 12, that it will set up twelve special courts to speed up disposal of criminal cases pending against MPs and MLAs in the country.

However, the government, which is opposed to a lifetime ban on convicted persons becoming MLAs or MPs, in its affidavit to the Supreme Court, put the number of cases pending against lawmakers as 1,581 – which does not match the numbers mentioned in the petition before the court. This was the number of MPs and MLAs against whom criminal cases were pending, according to the petition. With several of them involved in multiple cases, the number of cases, as per the petition being heard by the Supreme Court, was over 13,500.

In a two-page affidavit, additional secretary in Ministry of Law and Justice Reeta Vasishta told the SC that the scheme envisages the constitution of the courts for a period of one year. The courts will try the cases against the law makers mentioned by candidates in their poll affidavits in 2014 when elections were held to Lok Sabha and eight state assemblies, said the affidavit.

Vasishta added that the ministry of finance has approved Rs 7.8 crore for the special courts.

While the government’s affidavit in the Supreme Court put the number of cases at 1,581 which 12 fast track courts would dispose of with ease within a year, the number of criminal cases is more than 13,680 as of 2014 and 1,581 is the number of MPs and MLAs facing prosecution, as per the petitioner Ashwini Upadhyay. Several tainted lawmakers face multiple cases. Upadhyay said “we need 100 special courts, not 12 courts.”

“The figure of 1,581 cases has been obtained from an NGO. However, the data as to in which courts the said cases are pending is not available with the NGO. Since the details as to in which courts the cases are pending is not available, it is difficult to gather facts and figures for answering the query of the court (on number of cases filed against lawmakers after 2014). The government has initiated action by seeking to collect the requisite details from the respective state governments,” the Centre said in its affidavit.

A Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Ranjan Gogoi and Navin Sinha is hearing a petition filed by advocate Ashwini Upadhyay seeking a lifetime ban on convicted persons from legislatures and Parliament. At present, a lawmaker guilty of a criminal offence punishable by two years or more in jail immediately loses the membership of Parliament or state assemblies. Under the court’s 2013 judgment, a convicted politician is also barred from contesting elections for six years from the date the sentence ends.

On November 1 this year the SC had directed the government to come up with scheme to set up special courts for speedy trial of lawmakers facing criminal charges. It is hearing a private litigation filed by advocate Ashwini Upadhyaya seeking a life-time bar on contesting elections for convicted politicians.

The suggestion for a central scheme was made after Election Commission of India (ECI) backed it and said it would go a long way in cleansing Indian politics. The government was reminded of an earlier top court order that fixed a time limit of one year for the trial courts to dispose of cases against politicians.

The Centre in its affidavit said that under the scheme, two courts would exclusively hear 184 cases pending against Lok Sabha members. Bihar would have just one court to deal with 141 cases involving MLAs as will Maharashtra to try 160 cases against its legislators.

There would be one special court in Uttar Pradesh to decide 160 such criminal cases. Similarly, one in West Bengal, where 107 MLAs are facing cases, one in Kerala that has 87 cases pending against MLAs and one in Telangana, with 67 cases awaiting final decisions, would be set-up.

Twenty-one states, including Gujarat (54 cases), Jharkhand (52 cases) and Orissa (52), will not have such courts. There will not be any special judicial forum to hear the cases of 44 Rajya Sabha MPs and the government affidavit is silent on which court will hear them.

During the November 1 hearing, the court had asked the Centre to apprise it on how many of the “1,581 criminal cases” pending against MPs and MLAs, “as declared at the time of filing of nomination papers for the 2014 elections”, were disposed of within a year as directed, how many had ended in acquittal or conviction, and whether any further criminal case had been filed against an MP or MLA after 2014.

Responding to this, the affidavit said: “There is no agency within the government collecting such data. Though the Centre had written to the Election Commission on this, the poll body also expressed its inability to provide the data.”

The EC had told the Centre, said that the figure in the petition was apparently taken by the petitioner from a report compiled by the NGO Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). The EC subsequently contacted the NGO, which said “the present figure is 1,571 not 1,581” and “this may be due to death/ resignation/ vacant seats etc.”

The ADR did not have information regarding the courts these cases were pending in, said the government. The Centre has contacted the states and written to their chief secretaries, secretaries of state legislatures and secretary general of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha for the information. The government is also in touch with the various high courts, in case the data is available with them, said the affidavit.

The apex court will consider the government’s proposal when it hears the matter on December 14.

The government, which has already opposed the life ban as demanded by the petitioner, said the recommendations of the poll panel and the law commission were under “active consideration”, said media reports.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

India News

JNU protest turns violent as Left and Right student groups trade charges

A late-night protest at JNU turned violent as Left and ABVP student groups accused each other of stone-throwing and attacks near the East Gate.

Published

6 hours ago

on

February 23, 2026

By

JNU Protest

Tension gripped the campus of Jawaharlal Nehru University in the early hours of Monday after a protest march allegedly spiralled into violence, with rival student groups accusing each other of triggering the unrest.

Students claimed that the incident occurred around 1.30 am when a confrontation broke out during a march called by the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union. The protest, named “Samta Juloos”, was headed towards the East Gate and was organised to demand the resignation of Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit and the withdrawal of a rustication order.

According to protesters, several students were injured after alleged stone-throwing during the clash. They alleged that the university administration did not intervene during the march and instead permitted members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad to confront demonstrators.

However, the ABVP denied the allegations and countered that Left-affiliated organisations instigated the confrontation and were spreading misinformation about the events.

Left-backed groups, including the All India Students’ Association, claimed that ABVP activists targeted the JNUSU encampment and hurled stones at “unarmed students”, leading to multiple injuries.

Videos shared by students on social media reportedly showed chaotic scenes near the protest site, with members of rival groups engaged in heated exchanges and physical scuffles.

University authorities did not immediately respond to queries regarding the incident. Students said the situation on campus remained tense following the overnight clashes.

Continue Reading

India News

World praised India’s AI potential at AI Impact Summit, says PM Modi

PM Modi said the world praised India’s AI potential at the AI Impact Summit 2026, where 89 countries endorsed the New Delhi Declaration on artificial intelligence.

Published

6 hours ago

on

February 23, 2026

By

pm modi speech

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that the world wholeheartedly praised India’s potential during the recently concluded AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, highlighting the growing global confidence in the country’s young technology talent.

In a post on X, the Prime Minister said the summit demonstrated how the mindset of India’s youth in the field of technology would serve humanity at large. He described the event as historic and underlined the positive global response to India’s AI capabilities.

The AI Impact Summit 2026, organised in New Delhi last week, concluded with the adoption of the New Delhi Declaration on AI Impact. The declaration has been endorsed by 89 countries and international organisations, signalling broad global agreement on promoting artificial intelligence for economic growth and social welfare.

Broad global participation

The summit saw the participation of several prominent world leaders and top technology executives. Among those present were UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, French President Emmanuel Macron, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and Swiss President Guy Parmelin.

Other leaders attending the summit included Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam, Croatia Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, Serbia President Aleksandar Vucic, Seychelles Vice President Sebastien Pillay, Estonia President Alar Karis, and Finland Prime Minister Petteri Orpo.

Chief executives and senior leaders from major global technology firms were also part of the gathering.

Focus on inclusive AI growth

Held under the theme ‘Sarvajan Hitay, Sarvajan Sukhay’ (welfare for all, happiness of all), the summit aimed to position India as a global leader in artificial intelligence while ensuring that AI development remains inclusive and sustainable.

The event brought together more than 500 international AI leaders. This included around 100 CEOs and founders, 150 academicians and researchers, and 400 CTOs, vice presidents and philanthropists. Additionally, over 100 government representatives and nearly 60 ministers and vice ministers participated in discussions.

The New Delhi Declaration seeks to strengthen international cooperation and ensure that AI technologies contribute to economic progress, social good and environmental protection.

Continue Reading

India News

Devendra Fadnavis seeks CBI probe into Ajit Pawar plane crash

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has requested a CBI investigation into the plane crash that killed Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, alongside ongoing DGCA and CID probes.

Published

7 hours ago

on

February 23, 2026

By

Ajit Pawar plane crash

The Maharashtra government has sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the plane crash that claimed the life of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar last month, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Sunday.

Addressing a press conference on the eve of the state budget session, Fadnavis said the request for a CBI inquiry had been conveyed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He added that the move followed a letter from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), an ally of the BJP, demanding a central probe into the incident.

Multiple investigations underway

Fadnavis said investigations by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) are already in progress. The proposed CBI probe would run parallel to these inquiries to address any concerns surrounding the crash.

Ajit Pawar and four others were killed on January 28 when a chartered Learjet 45 aircraft crashed while attempting to land near Baramati in Pune district.

The chief minister said the government is committed to clearing all doubts related to the incident and will ensure regular follow-up of the investigations. He urged people to avoid speculation and wait for the official findings.

Allegations and political reactions

Rohit Pawar, nephew of the late NCP leader and a member of the NCP (SP), has raised allegations about the circumstances of the crash and suggested possible foul play. On Saturday, he wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking the resignation of Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu until the inquiry is completed.

Rohit Pawar has also questioned the company VSR, which owned the ill-fated aircraft, and alleged links with the civil aviation minister.

Fadnavis said the DGCA is conducting an audit of the VSR company and examining its logbooks. He maintained that both the DGCA and the civil aviation ministry have nothing to hide.

Highlighting the broader implications of the incident, Fadnavis noted that the probe is important for ensuring the safety of political leaders, adding that he had travelled on the same VSR aircraft on several occasions.

Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, who was present at the press conference along with Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, said the state government has formally requested a CBI probe and assured a thorough investigation.

The issue is expected to be discussed during the budget session of the Maharashtra legislature, amid sharp exchanges between the ruling alliance and the Opposition. The Opposition also boycotted the customary tea party hosted by the chief minister, citing concerns over the potential impact of the Indo-US trade deal on cotton growers and fisherfolk in the state.

Continue Reading

Trending

© Copyright 2022 APNLIVE.com