March 10, 2014 SC order:
- The Supreme Court, had ordered the government to conclude criminal trials in which charges have been framed against sitting MPs and MLAs “speedily and expeditiously” within a year.
- The apex court had ordered the trials to be held on a day-to-day
- Only “extraordinary circumstances” would justify a trial exceeding the one-year deadline.
Supreme Court’s current directives:
- It wanted the government to report back by December 13 on how many of these 1,581 cases were finally decided and how many ended in acquittals and convictions for MPs and MLAs.
- The court further directed the Centre to place on record how many cases have been filed against sitting and former legislators between 2014 till date.
- The apex court said it wanted details of the status of each such case and how the criminal trials ended in every one of them.
Additional Solicitor General response:
- The Centre was not averse to the setting up of special courts to exclusively try political persons.
- There was no room for a second opinion that corruption and criminality should be wiped out of politics.
- The government would support any move for the “utmost expeditious disposal” of criminal cases involving political persons.
Source: