Number of cases against MPs, MLAs on rise, Supreme Court told

The number of cases against MPs/MLAs is on the rise with Uttar Pradesh recording the maximum number of 1,377 cases as of November 2022, followed by Bihar with 546 cases and Maharashtra 482 cases, a report filed in the Supreme Court on Monday stated.

The overall number has risen from 4,122 in December 2018 to 4,974 in December 2021 and eventually to 5,097 in November 2022, the report by amicus curiae, senior advocate Vijay Hansaria and advocate Sneha Kalita said.

The supplementary report, however, excluded the States of Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir, and Ladakh, for which figures for total pending cases are not available.

It further pointed out 41 per cent of the total cases pending are more than five years old, despite the fact that this court is seized of the matter related to a PIL by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay.

The top court has passed various interim orders from time to time to expedite the trial against the lawmakers.

The report further pointed out that the highest number of pending cases for more than five years is in the State of Orissa (71 per cent), followed by Bihar (69 per cent) and Uttar Pradesh (52 per cent). Meghalaya figures were not included, as there are 4 cases pending all of which are more than five years old.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to consider on Tuesday the report filed in the PIL by Upadhyay for expeditious trial against sitting and former MP and MLAs.

In its 17th status report filed on November 14, Hansaria said, 51 MPs faced money laundering cases by the Enforcement Directorate while an equal number of lawmakers faced cases lodged by the CBI.

The report also stated that 71 MLAs/ MLCs are accused in cases arising out of offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. It also pointed out that the information furnished by the CBI showed that a total number of cases pending trial against MPs/MLAs are 121.