Bombay HC asks state to provide details of pending cases, stage of trials against MPs, MLAs

A special bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice N J Jamar was hearing a suo motu PIL in view of Supreme Court directives seeking expeditious disposal of cases pending against present or former MPs and MLAs.

When the court queried as to whether all courts in the state designated to hear cases related to present and former MPs and state legislators were functioning, the state government lawyer responded in affirmative.

The state lawyer stated that she will provide details of cases against legislators pending within Maharashtra, Goa and Union Territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli within four weeks.

The details will include total number of witnesses in each case, number of witnesses examined during the trial, present stage of trial and steps taken by the prosecuting agency to ensure appearance of accused persons in the trial, where summons could not be served upon them.

The court was also assured that it will be provided with the details as to the number of Public Prosecutors (PPs) and Additional Public Prosecutors (APPs) who are assigned the cases related to the legislators in respective courts.

The bench said that there was no need for HC registry to seek data from respective trial courts on behalf of state government and instead the same be collated based on details provided by prosecutors appointed by the prosecuting agencies.

The special bench will hear, after two weeks, interim pleas seeking withdrawal of certain cases against legislators filed during the Covid-19 pandemic and related to political protests, after the state provides details related to the name of the complainants, allegations and the government resolution (GR) for withdrawal of such cases after obtaining court’s approval.