Following the court’s direction, hearing of IRCTC and land-for-jobs cases against Lalu Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi and their son and Bihar’s deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav is set to be expedited. They, along with others, have been booked by CBI and ED on charges of corruption and money laundering.
A corruption case against the late CM of Himachal Pradesh, Virbhadra Singh, may also be accelerated. Charges have been framed and evidence is being furnished by both sides in the special court. Another case is against RJD MP AD Singh, booked by ED in an alleged fertiliser subsidy scam.
Other cases are against former Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia and AAP leader Sanjay Singh, who have been arrested by probe agencies in an alleged Delhi liquor policy scam.
Additional sessions judge Vishal Gogne, special judge designated under the Prevention of Corruption Act to adjudicate on cases against legislators, last week passed an order, stating that “all trials/proceedings before this court are required to be expedited and adjournments are to be avoided”.
The Supreme Court on November 9 in a writ petition had issued directions to the designated courts: The designated courts “shall give priority first to criminal cases against MPs & MLAs punishable with death or life imprisonment then to (ii) cases punishable with imprisonment for five years or more, and then hear (iii) other cases”. The top court had made it clear that the “trial courts shall not adjourn the cases except for rare and compelling reasons”.Following the said ruling, the Delhi High Court on December 21 passed directions to the special (designated) courts. The order read: “The designated courts shall, as far as possible, list such cases at least once a week; not grant any adjournment in the same unless extremely necessary and shall take all requisite steps for expeditious disposal of such cases. Wherever the examination/cross-examination of a witness stretches beyond the given day, the matter, as far as possible, shall be listed on a day-to-day basis till the evidence of such witness is concluded.”In pursuance of the directions by SC and Delhi High Court, the special judge has started giving weekly dates in the cases involving MPs and MLAs and has also verbally instructed the counsels of probe agencies to ensure presence of investigating officers if required for assistance.
