Around 5,000 Cases Pending Against MPs & MLAs. Some For Over 3 Decades, SC Informed

Senior advocate Vijay Hansaria, the amicus curiae, filed the report in a case connected with the expeditious trial of MPs and MLAs.

Supreme Court of India. (File Photo/ Getty)

New Delhi: The cases pending against sitting and former MPs and MLAs have increased from 4,110 in December 2018 to 4,984 in December 2021, the Supreme Court was informed.

Senior advocate Vijay Hansaria, the amicus curiae, filed the report in a case connected with the expeditious trial of MPs and MLAs.

“Some of these cases were pending for more than three decades. 2,324 cases were against sitting legislators, and 1,675 cases were against former legislators. In 1,991 cases, even charges were not framed. 264 cases were pending due to stay granted by the High Courts,” said the report submitted by Hansaria, news agency IANS reported.

The report submitted in the apex court earlier on Thursday said “it is submitted that despite a series of directions by this Hon'ble Court and continuous monitoring, as many as 4,984 cases are pending out of which 1,899 cases are more than 5 years old”.

“It may be noted that the total number of cases pending as on December 2018 were 4,110, and as on October 2020 were 4,859. Even after disposal of 2,775 cases after December 4, 2018, the cases against MPs/MLAs have increased from 4,122 to 4,984,” the report added.

Uttar Pradesh, as per the report, topped the list with 1,339 cases pending for final disposal as of December 1, 2021, whereas 992 cases were pending in December 2018 and1,374 cases were pending in October 2020.

The data, therefore, reveals that only a few cases were disposed of between October 2020 and December 1, 2021.

Uttar Pradesh disposed of 435 cases - 364 by the sessions court and 71 by magistrates - as on December 4, 2018.

Whereas, there were 304 cases pending in Bihar in December 2018.

The pending cases rose to 557 in October 2020 and 571 in December 2021, respectively.

341 out of the 571 cases are pending before the magistrate courts and 68 cases before the sessions’ judges.

The Supreme Court had earlier in 2018 issued the directive to set up special courts to expedite trials of cases against the MPs and MLAs.

The apex court had since then issued many directions, including asking the Central government to set up a monitoring committee to examine the reasons for delay of investigation in the cases.

The report while citing the volume of cases against the lawmakers said “this shows that more and more persons with criminal antecedents are occupying the seats” in the Parliament and the State Assemblies.

“It is of utmost necessity that urgent and stringent steps are taken for expeditious disposal of pending criminal cases,” the report added.

The report further said the Central government has not provided any suggestions after the apex court’s order in August 2021 regarding the setting up of a monitoring committee to evaluate the reasons for delay in investigation of the cases.