Supreme Court to urgently hear plea on criminal cases against lawmakers

The Supreme Court has agreed to list for urgent hearing a 2016 public interest litigation that seeks directions to expedite the disposal of criminal cases involving lawmakers across the country.

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant's bench accepted the request during proceedings on Friday, after senior advocate Vijay Hansaria, assisting the court as an amicus curiae, pressed for immediate action on the matter. "This concerns expeditious trial of criminal cases against MPs and MLAs. Almost 40 percent of the legislators are facing criminal cases. It has to be listed urgently and some immediate directions are needed," Hansaria told the bench.

Justice V Mohana had recused herself from hearing the case on August 18, noting she had previously appeared as a senior lawyer in the matter. The CJI-led bench, which also includes Justice Joymalya Bagchi, agreed to proceed with a three-judge configuration to hear the petition.

The development reflects growing judicial concern over the criminalization of politics in India, with the pendency of cases against elected representatives raising questions about the speed of the judicial system in handling such matters. The court's urgent listing suggests it intends to issue substantive directions aimed at accelerating trial outcomes in these high-profile cases.