Raj HC orders speedy disposal of criminal cases against MPs, MLAs

The Rajasthan high court has directed that all criminal cases pending for more than 10 years as of December 31, 2024, against elected Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of Legislative Assemblies (MLAs) must be concluded expeditiously.

- Dinesh Bothra

JODHPUR:

The court has also ordered that in cases where trials have already commenced, proceedings must continue on a day-to-day basis to ensure swift disposal.

A division bench comprising chief justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and justice Inderjeet Singh issued these directions on Thursday while hearing a suo motu petition initiated in compliance with the Supreme Court's directive on the expeditious disposal of criminal cases involving elected representatives.

According to the data presented before the court, as of December 31, 2024, a total of 51 cases against sitting and former legislators were pending across various courts in Rajasthan.

Among these, five cases have been unresolved for more than 10 years, while 14 cases have remained pending for over five years. Eight cases are stalled due to stay orders from higher courts.

The court noted that in some instances, proceedings were delayed due to records being summoned or interim orders remaining in effect.

The data revealed that the oldest case is the Bhanwari Devi kidnapping and murder case from 2011. The case is currently at the defence evidence stage, with the defence having submitted a list of 36 witnesses.