<p>The Supreme Court on Monday refused to accept a plea for urgent hearing on a PIL contending people facing trial in serious crime cases can be allowed to contest.<br /><br />A bench of Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice D Y Chandrachud said, “We have already fixed three matters for disposal by a five-judge Constitution bench in summer vacation.”<br /><br />Petitioner-advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay sought directions to set up a five-judge bench and disposal of the matter in the summer vacation.<br /><br />“It is a very important issue for democracy in our country. I was assured by the court that a bench would be set up,” he said, adding that it will not take more than three days in concluding the hearing.<br /><br />“You cannot imagine how much time and efforts are needed in writing judgements,” the bench said, while making it clear that setting up of a Constitution bench to decide the issue is not possible in the near future.<br /><br />The apex court had on January 5 said it will soon constitute a Constitution bench to decide these issues if framing of charges was sufficient stage to debar a candidate from contesting polls.<br /><br />On March 8 last year a three-judge bench has referred various PILs including the one filed by Upadhyay to the Chief Justice of India.</p>
<p>The Supreme Court on Monday refused to accept a plea for urgent hearing on a PIL contending people facing trial in serious crime cases can be allowed to contest.<br /><br />A bench of Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice D Y Chandrachud said, “We have already fixed three matters for disposal by a five-judge Constitution bench in summer vacation.”<br /><br />Petitioner-advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay sought directions to set up a five-judge bench and disposal of the matter in the summer vacation.<br /><br />“It is a very important issue for democracy in our country. I was assured by the court that a bench would be set up,” he said, adding that it will not take more than three days in concluding the hearing.<br /><br />“You cannot imagine how much time and efforts are needed in writing judgements,” the bench said, while making it clear that setting up of a Constitution bench to decide the issue is not possible in the near future.<br /><br />The apex court had on January 5 said it will soon constitute a Constitution bench to decide these issues if framing of charges was sufficient stage to debar a candidate from contesting polls.<br /><br />On March 8 last year a three-judge bench has referred various PILs including the one filed by Upadhyay to the Chief Justice of India.</p>
