Apex court orders fasttracking of cases against MPs, MLAs
SHILLONG: The State Home Department has conveyed to the Centre that there is no law maker (legislator or MP) in Meghalaya against whom any criminal case is pending in the court of law.
An official source said that after a directive from the Union Home Ministry to know the status of cases pending against legislators and MPs from the state, there was a video conferencing arranged by the Union Home Ministry with the State Home Department.
The Home Ministry has asked all State governments to speed up cases against MPs and MLAs facing charges which attract disqualification, directing them to seek day-to-day trial in courts, appoint special public prosecutors and ensure regular monitoring.
The direction came in the wake of Supreme Court setting a deadline to complete trial in cases involving lawmakers.
The step is also in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s direction on July 24 asking the Home Minister and Law Minister to work out a mechanism to settle cases against politicians within a year to cleanse politics from tainted lawmakers.
The officials of the State Home and Law departments replied to the queries of the Union Home Ministry officials on the criminal cases which can attract disqualification.
“During the video conferencing exercise held recently, we have communicated to Delhi that there is no pending criminal case against legislators or MPs in Meghalaya”, the official source added.
The directive of the union home ministry was to examine the criminal cases under section 8 (1) 8 (2) and 8(3) of the Representation of People Act in relation to IPC with particular reference to the disqualification of legislators for their pending criminal cases.
In the meeting, the question on Independent legislator Julius Dorphang was raised as he was the former chairman of banned HNLC. However, the law department officials conveyed that there is no case pending against him.
To a question, a Home Department official said that there was also no criminal case pending against cabinet minister Ampareen Lyngdoh against whom FIRs were lodged following the education scam.
According to the state government, no charge has been framed against any lawmakers in the state.
The Union Home Ministry wanted to speed up and complete the trial of criminal charges against law makers all over the country following the Supreme Court order of March 10 this year.
Any sentence, which attracts punishment of two years and above, can lead to disqualification of members from Legislature and Parliament.