Cases Against Politicians: Supreme Court Irked by Centre's Failure to Give Details

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed anguish over the Centre’s failure to provide details about the criminal cases pending against lawmakers and politicians in various courts across the country. A bench of Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Navin Sinha and Justice K.M. Joseph said the “Union of India is unprepared” as it had not given the information sought by the court. “The government is compelling us to pass certain orders which we do not want to at this stage. The Union of India is unprepared. We express our anguish,” said the bench.

The affidavit filed by the government did not have any specific details regarding the number of cases pending in each fast-track courts already set up. In the affidavit, a top official of the Law and Justice Ministry stated: “This department is regularly taking up the matter with the authorities concerned for furnishing the information regarding the cases transferred/ disposed/ pending in the said courts.”

The affidavit only furnished a chart of communications and not contained the number of cases pending against the lawmakers and politicians. The court was hearing a PIL by an advocate and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ashwani Kumar Upadhyay seeking lifetime ban on convicted lawmakers and setting up of special courts for trying lawmakers accused of criminal offences. (IANS)