Total 466 Criminal Cases Pending Against Various MPs, MLAs In Maharashtra & Goa: State Tells Bombay High Court

The Bombay High Court was on Thursday informed that a total of 466 criminal cases are pending against various former and sitting Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) across Maharashtra and Goa.

A special division bench of Chief Justice Devender Kumar Upadhyay and Justice Nijamoodin Jamadar has been monitoring the status of criminal cases pending against various MPs and MLAs across the States of Maharashtra and Goa, as per directions of the Supreme Court.

According to the data submitted by Additional Government Pleader Anand Patil, a total of 110 cases are pending in special courts designated to hear such cases, in Aurangabad region. Further, the data revealed that at least 75 such cases are pending in Nagpur region, 250 in Bombay region and 11 in Union Territories of Daman Diu, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and also Silvasa.

In Goa, a total of 20 cases are pending, the data reads.

After going through the data, Chief Justice Upadhyay said he will be passing a "crucial order" in the matter.

"We will pass a crucial order in this matter asking all lower courts to expedite the trial in the criminal cases pending against MPs and MLAs. Also, for cases that have been stayed by the High Court, we will be issuing a direction to the concerned courts (in HC) to expedite the disposal of those cases, at the earliest," the Chief Justice said.

According to the data, Pune district tops the chart of most pending criminal cases across Maharashtra. A total of 34 cases are pending against various MPs and MLAs. are pending in courts in. The Pune district is followed by the Thane district with 32 criminal case and Solapur with 30 such cases. 

Notably, Gadchiroli is the only district with no such pending cases within its jurisdiction.