File status report on criminal cases against MPs, MLAs: Himachal High Court

Legal Correspondent

Shimla, August 29

The High Court has directed the Registrar (Judicial) to file a proper compliance report in a tabulated form regarding the pending criminal cases against the sitting/former MPs/MLAs in all districts along with status of the cases.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice AA Sayed and Justice Jyotsna Rewal Dua passed this order on Friday on a suo motu petition initiated by the court in view of the Supreme Court directions for the constitution of special courts with regard to the adjudication of pending criminal cases against the sitting/former MPs/MLAs.

In compliance with the order passed by the court, the HP Government has designated the District and Sessions Judges/Additional District and Sessions Judges as Special Judges to try such pending cases.

The High Court had disposed of a petition on December 18, 2020, with a direction to the Special Judges to take up the pending criminal cases against the sitting/former MPs/MLAs on top priority and dispose these at the earliest. It had further directed the Registrar (Judicial) to submit a compliance report to the court periodically.

During the course of hearing, the court observed, “We find that the compliance report that had been filed by the Registrar was not in terms of the order dated December 18, 2020.”

Top priority

The High Court had disposed of a petition on December 18, 2020, with a direction to the Special Judges to take up the pending criminal cases against the sitting/former MPs/MLAs on top priority.