E-Paper
FIRs against MPs/MLAs: HC asks CBI, ED to submit data on cases in Punjab,Haryana
Statistics produced in the high court reveal that as of July 31, 59 cases were pending in Haryana, 66 in Punjab and 10 in Chandigarh.
Prefer HTon Google
The high court has asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) to file details of cases registered against MPs/MLAs from Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh.
The directions were issued by the bench of acting chief justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and justice Rohit Kapoor while taking up a 2021 suo motu case in which the court is monitoring a probe into FIRs registered against MPs and MLAs in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh on the Supreme Court’s directions.
On the last date of hearing on August 10, the court had asked the Punjab and Haryana governments to file complete details of such cases.
When the case was taken up on August 31, the Haryana government presented its status report, while the Punjab government counsel pointed out that several cases are being prosecuted by the ED, CBI and Income Tax department, and their details were not readily available.
In view of this, the court asked additional solicitor general Satya Pal Jain to collect such information from the concerned central authorities/departments and place it on record by the next date. “The authorities will also be at liberty to examine any mismatch and clarify the position in that regard,” the bench said. The court also asked the CBI to furnish the details. The case has been deferred for hearing on September 22.
Statistics produced in the high court reveal that as of July 31, 59 cases were pending in Haryana, 66 in Punjab and 10 in Chandigarh.
When these proceedings were instituted in 2021, preliminary data produced in the Supreme Court had suggested that 35 criminal cases were pending against MPs/MLAs in Punjab and 42 in Haryana. These included cases against former lawmakers as well.
