AMN / NEW DELHI
The Supreme Court on Wednesday favoured creation of special courts to exclusively deal with criminal cases involving politicians and their speedy disposal, saying such a move would be in the interest of the nation.
Hearing a bunch of petitions today, the apex court directed the Centre to place before it a scheme in this regard within six weeks. It asked the Centre about the 1,581 cases involving MPs and MLAs, as declared by the politicians at the time of filing of their nominations during the 2014 elections, and the details of how many of them have been disposed of within one year as per its directions passed in 2014.
A bench comprising Justices Ranjan Gogoi and Navin Sinha made the remarks after the Centre said decriminalisation of politics has to be done.
Additional Solicitor General Atmaram Nadkarni, representing the Centre, told the bench that the government is not averse to setting up of special courts for quick and early disposal of criminal cases involving politicians.
He said, recommendations of the Election Commission of India and the Law Commission favouring life-time disqualification of politicians convicted in criminal cases was under the active consideration of the Centre.
The bench directed the Centre to place before it the scheme for setting up of such special courts and also indicate the amount of funds that could be earmarked for the purpose. The apex court asked the government to place these details before it within six weeks and fixed the matter for hearing on December 13.
The top court was hearing petitions seeking to declare the provisions of the Representation of People (RP) Act, which bar convicted politicians from contesting elections for six years after serving jail term, as ultra vires to the Constitution.