791 cases against MPs, MLAs shifted to fast-track courts: Ravi Shankar Prasad

NEW DELHI: The government has transferred 791 cases against MPs/MLAs to 12 fast track courts set up for speedy trial, law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Monday.

The minister, who was briefing the media on the government's achievements in the last four years, said 12 fast track courts have been set up in 11 states by the government on the direction of the apex court for speedy trial of cases against lawmakers. Interestingly, the Election Commission has demanded debarring convicted MPs/MLAs from contesting elections.

Earlier this year, the government had told the Supreme Court in an affidavit that 1,765 MPs and MLAs, or 36 per cent of parliamentarians and members of legislative assemblies, were facing criminal trial in 3,045 cases. The total strength of lawmakers in Parliament and assemblies is 4,896.

The apex court had directed the government to transfer all these cases to the fast track courts for the trials to be completed within a year.

The Centre in its affidavit before the Supreme Court had placed statewise figure of cases pending against lawmakers. The purpose of setting up FTCs was to exclusively hear these cases on a day to day basis. The highest number of cases against lawmakers is in Uttar Pradesh followed by Tamil Nadu, Bihar, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.

The government has set up a total of 727 FTCs which includes courts to expedite trials of cases against women, SC/STs, children and senior citizens. The number of FTCs have increased from 281 during 2015 to 727 in 2018, the minister said.

The FTCs for MPs/MLAs are in Delhi, Andhra, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, UP, Bihar and West Bengal.