Telangana High Court Constitutes Special Bench For Expeditious Disposal Of Criminal Cases Pending Against MPs, MLAs

The Telangana High Court has constituted a Special Bench and taken up suo-motu proceedings in compliance of Supreme Court orders to designate courts for expeditious trial of criminal cases pending against MPs & MLAs.

“ln pursuance of the aforesaid guidelines, this Special Bench has been constituted and we direct the Registry to register this writ petition as "ln Re: designated courts for MPs/MLAs"

The Division Bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice T. Vinod Kumar has directed the Registry to collect data with regard to pending criminal cases against MPs & MLAs and file the same in the form of a status report.

“The Registry is directed to collate the data with regard to pendency of criminal cases pending against MPs and MLAs. The aforesaid data shall be filed in the form of status report with regard to category of offences registered against each of such MPs and MLAs on or before the next date of hearing.”

The suo-motu cognizance was taken by the High Court pursuant to guidelines issued by the Apex Court vide order dated November 09, 2023 in Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay v. Union of India and Ors., where it was held that pendency of cases against MPs/MLAs have a direct bearing on political democracy and there is a compelling need to make an endeavour to ensure that these cases are taken up on priority basis and decided expeditiously.

The matter is next listed for consideration on December 15, 2023.

Additional Solicitor General B. Narasimha Sharma appeared for respondent No.1 (Union of India)

Government Pleader S. Mujib Kumar appeared for respondent Nos.2 to 5 (State)

Senior Counsel G. Vidya Sagar appeared for respondent No.6 (Registrar General, Telangana High Court)

Case Title: ln re. (Expeditious disposal of criminal cases, parliament and legislative assembly) v. Union of lndia & Ors., SUOMOTU WRIT PETITION NO: 11/2023

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