151 CBI cases pending against MPs/MLAs, 58 punishable with life imprisonment, SC told

The Supreme Court has been informed that a total of 151 cases are pending against sitting and former MPsMLAs in special CBI courts across the country and as many as 58 cases are punishable with life imprisonment However in nearly onethird of the cases the trial is moving at snails pace charges have not been framed though offences were committed several years backSenior advocate Vijay Hansaria appointed amicus curiae in a 2016 petition filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay seeking direction to fasttracking of criminal trials against sitting and former MPsMLAs has filed the report in the top court He has been assisted by advocate Sneha Kalita in the matterThe fourteenth report in the matter said It may be noted that out of 151 cases pending trial before the Special Courts CBI as many as 58 cases are punishable with life imprisonment In 45 cases even the charges have not been framed though the offences alleged to have been committed several years backThe CBI has furnished a status report dated August 19 to the amicus mentioning the details of the cases pending trial before different CBI courts and those under investigation The CBI cases pending investigation against MPsMLAs are 37The oldest pending case is in Patna where the accused was chargesheeted on June 12 2000 The report highlighted inordinate delay in several cases pending trial before CBI courts in different parts of the countryAccording to the Enforcement Directorates status report a total number of 51 Members of Parliament both sitting and former are accused in cases arising out of offences under Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002 However the report does not show as to how many MPsMLAs are sitting andor former legislatorsThe report suggested that courts before whom the trials are pending may be directed to expedite the trial of all pending cases on daytoday basis in terms of Section 309 of the CrPCAll the High Courts may be directed to issue administrative instructions to the effect that the concerned courts dealing with cases investigated by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate shall deal with the cases pending before MPsMLAs on priority basis and other cases shall be dealt only after the trial in these cases are over said the reportThe amicus suggested in case additional courts are required the high courts and the appropriate government shall constitute additional special courtsThe report further suggested that cases where investigations are pending before the ED and the CBI a monitoring committee may be constituted comprising of the following former judge of the top court or the former Chief Justice of a high court the Director ED or his nominee not below the rank of Additional Director the Director CBI or his nominee not below the rank of Additional Director the Union Home Secretary or his nominee not below the rank of Joint Secretary and a judicial officer not below the rank of district judge to be nominated by the top courtAmicus suggested the committee may be constituted within a period of two weeks of the order and it should furnish its status report regarding each particular case in a sealed cover to the top court within two months of its first sittingOn August 10 the top court gave last opportunity to the Centre to submit a detailed status report regarding details of pendency and stage of trial of cases involving sitting and former lawmakers registered with the central agencies CBI and othersA bench headed by Chief Justice NV Ramana and comprising Justices Vineet Saran and Surya Kant had told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta We are reading these reports in newspapers They dont send us anything We get everything in the evening we dont know anythingThe CJI said in September last year the court had granted time to Centre to file a detailed status report then in October again time was sought and today the situation is the sameThis does not work he noted What else can we say to express our displeasure we were told Centre is concerned about pending cases against MPsMLAs he had addedThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever