[Criminal Cases Against MPs/MLAs] Telangana HC Directs Lower Courts To Take Up Hearing Of The Pending Cases On Day To Day Basis [Read Notification]

By way of a Notification released on 03^rd October, the Telangana High Court gave the above-said direction to Metropolitan Sessions Judge-Hyderabad, Special Judge for the trial of Cases under against MPs/MLAs, Court of the Special Judge under the Prevention of Corruption Act for Speedy Trial of Cases of Embezzlement of Scholarship Amounts in Social Welfare department etc, at Hyderabad, Principal CBI Judge (Hyderabad) and Principal ACB Judge (Hyderabad).

Notably, this direction has been given in compliance with the order of the Supreme Court dated 16.09.2020 passed in W.P. (Civil) No. 699/2016 (Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay & others vs. Union of India & others).

The High Court (through Registrar General) also decided to extend physical hearing of the matters at Adilabad, Karimnagar, Khammam, Mahbubnagar, Medak (except in district headquarters at Sangareddy), Nalgonda, Nizamabad, Ranga Reddy and Warangal judicial districts till November 06.

Further, Unit heads of these judicial districts were directed to report daily status of cases to the respective Administrative Judges and to the Registry for further instructions of the High Court.

Unit heads of Metropolitan Sessions Judge and CBI courts at Hyderabad were directed to take a call (as per instructions of the Administrative Judge) on either reopening other courts in their respective units or to continue with virtual hearing till November 06.

Lastly, the Unit heads of City Civil Courts and City Small Causes courts were directed to either reopen courts in their area or continue with the virtual hearing till November 6 (as per instructions of Administrative Judge).

Recently, the Madhya Pradesh High Court (Jabalpur Bench) registered a suo motu petition for monitoring the progress of the trials of the pending criminal cases against sitting/former Legislators (MPs & MLAs).

Notably, with an aim to enable "timely action" in criminal cases pending against sitting and former MPs and MLAs, the High Court of Manipur on Thursday (October 1^st) directed the State Government to create two "exclusive Special Courts" at Imphal at the Sessions and Magisterial levels.

Recently, the Division Bench of the Orissa High Court comprising Chief Justice Mohammad Rafiq and Justice B. R. Sarangi directed the Advocate General AK Parija to obtain instructions and file details of the criminal cases pending before different the courts of all the districts of Odisha against sitting/former M.Ps and M.L.A.s.

Also, the Karnataka High Court has directed the Registrar General of the Court to register a suo-motu petition, in view of the directions issued by the Supreme Court.