HYDERABAD: A division bench of the Telangana High Court, comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice T Vinod Kumar, on Friday clubbed a PIL, filed by ex-MP Chegondi Harirama Jogaiah which sought expeditious investigation into disproportionate asset cases against Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, with a suo motu PIL registered on Supreme Court orders.
The Supreme Court, in the landmark case of Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay and others Vs Union of India and others, directed all high courts to ensure expeditious disposal of criminal cases against MPs and MLAs. The Telangana High Court, adhering to these directives, scrutinised data provided by the registrar general of the high court, and issued specific directions to designated courts.
According to the data, 115 cases against MPs and MLAs of Telangana are currently pending at various stages. The court directed the CBI court to expedite the disposal of 20 cases involving discharge petitions within two months. Additionally, in 46 cases at the stage of summons issuance, the concerned police authorities have been instructed to serve the summons within a maximum of two weeks.
Furthermore, the court addressed 10 cases where proceedings against MPs and MLAs were stayed, directing the bench to pass appropriate orders, including stay vacation petitions. For 11 cases where MPs and MLAs failed to appear despite receiving summons, judges have been directed to coordinate with police to ensure their appearance.
In cases undergoing trial, the special courts have received instructions to expedite the proceedings.For the five cases at the pre-cognizance stage, police authorities have been directed to take necessary steps, with special courts numbering the charge sheets upon compliance.The Telangana High Court has set a deadline of March 2024 for compliance with these directions.