Orissa high court asks district judges to expedite cases against MPs and MLAs

A division bench of acting chief justice Dr. BR Sarangi and justice Murahari Sri Raman went through the 423 cases pending against MPs and MLAs in various courts of the state

Published on: Jan 14, 2024, 14:38:36 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

The Orissa high court has directed the district and sessions judges in all the 30 districts to take appropriate and effective steps for disposal of cases involving MPs and MLAs and furnish monthly statement showing institution, disposal and pendency of the cases every month.

The division bench of acting chief justice Dr. BR Sarangi and justice Murahari Sri Raman, who went through the 423 cases pending against MPs and MLAs in various courts of the state, in their order said the sessions courts have to give priority to the criminal cases punishable with death or life imprisonment, then to the cases punishable with imprisonment for 5 years or more and then hear all other cases and not to adjourn the cases except for rare and compelling reasons.

A writ petition was registered suo-motu by the deputy registrar (judicial) of the Orissa high court to monitor early disposal of criminal cases pending against the members of Parliament and Legislative Assemblies as per the direction of the Supreme Court.

Accordingly, the district and sessions judges were directed to take appropriate and effective steps for disposal of cases involving members of Parliament and Legislative Assemblies and furnish monthly statement showing institution, disposal and pendency of the cases in every English calendar month, so as to reach the HC by 3rd of succeeding month.

The cases in which the orders of stay of trial have been passed, may be listed before the court hearing suo-motu cases and the district and sessions judges throughout the state would ensure sufficient infrastructure facility for the designated courts and also enable them to adopt such technology as is expedient for effective and efficient functioning. They have to further create an independent tab on their website of this court providing district-wise information about the details of the year of filing, number of subject cases pending and stage of proceedings.

Out of the 423 cases, a majority of the cases are in their appearance stage or initial stages with a few cases dating back to 1991.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

Home/Cities/Others/Orissa High Court Asks District Judges To Expedite Cases Against MPs And MLAs