NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has asked its judges to give priority to the criminal cases pending before them against members of Parliament and legislative assemblies to ensure expeditious and effective disposal of such cases. The high court was informed by its registry that presently there are 34 pending cases or appeals or revisions involving MPs and MLAs before a single judge bench of the high court in which stay of trial have been ordered and are continuing for a period of more than six months.
A bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet PS Arora transferred the cases from the single judge concerned and directed the registry to re-allocate or re-distribute those 34 cases to other courts or benches as considered appropriate and effective for their expeditious disposal so that stay applications are disposed of expeditiously and trial of such cases can conclude before the designated special courts.
“In line with the directives passed by the Chief Justice of India...we direct the registry of this court to circulate this order so that priority is given to all criminal cases, appeals, revisions pending before them against the members of Parliament and legislative assemblies, as it is essential for expeditious and effective disposal of such cases,” the division bench said in an order on April 2.
On Thursday, when several MP/MLA cases came up for hearing before Justice Sharma, the court said it cannot hear them now as she has received a judicial order as per which certain cases have been transferred from this court.
Regarding the cases involving lawmakers pending before district courts, the high court directed the designated courts concerned to give priority, first of all criminal cases against MPs and MLAs punishable with death or life imprisonment, then to cases punishable with imprisonment for five years or more and thereafter hear other cases.