Cuttack: The Orissa High Court Thursday directed the state government to inform it within two weeks regarding the steps taken for expeditious hearing of criminal cases involving MPs and MLAs.
A division bench of Acting Chief Justice BR Sarangi and Justice MS Raman issued the direction while hearing a petition filed by re-designated Courts for MPs and MLAs. According to the details of the case, the High Court had December 31, 2023, published on its website the particulars of the criminal cases pending against the parliamentarians and legislators across the 30 districts of the state. While Khurda district topped the list with 86 cases, it was closely followed by Sambalpur and Ganjam districts with 53 and 51 cases, respectively, which are sub-judice.
During the hearing, it was learnt that 27 cases were under trial in Angul district, 28 in Balasore, one in Bargarh, 26 in Bolangir, 36 in Cuttack, one in Kalahandi, 48 in Koraput, 24 in Mayurbhanj, one in Subarnapur and 41 in Sundargarh against MPs and MLAs.
The total figure of the under-trial cases against the people’s representatives in all districts stands at 431. The Supreme Court, during the hearing of the Aswini Kumar Upadhyaya vs the Union Government case, had, September 16, 2020, emphasised on setting up of special courts and expediting the hearing and disposal of cases pending against elected people’s representatives.
Taking suo motu cognizance of the apex court’s order, the HC in 2020 had registered a case. During the hearing of the case, the state government had told the court that special steps were being taken to set up special courts to expedite hearing on criminal cases involving MPs and MLAs. Accordingly, 11 civil judge courts had been given the status of special courts for the cases deemed fit for trial against the former and sitting lawmakers.
During subsequent hearing April 5, 2021, the state government had apprised the court that as per the notification March 17, 2021, additional district and sessions courts in three districts were granted status of special courts for hearing of such cases.
PNN