Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 10

The Supreme Court on Tuesday fined eight political parties, including the BJP, Congress, RJD and the JD(U), for failing to comply with its directions “in letter and spirit” with regard to the disclosure of candidates’ criminal record on their websites and in the media during the Bihar Assembly polls.

HC nod must to drop cases against MPs

Public prosecutors can’t withdraw criminal cases against lawmakers without sanction from high courts, the SC has ruled. It said the judges handling such cases shouldn’t be transferred till further orders. 

The order came from a Bench headed by Justice RF Nariman on petitions seeking contempt action against the parties for not adhering to the top court’s February 13, 2020 directions to make public criminal antecedents of candidates within 48 hours of their selection or not less than two weeks before filing of nominations. “The nation continues to wait, and is losing patience. Cleansing the polluted stream of politics is obviously not one of the immediate pressing concerns of the legislative branch of the government,” said the Bench, which also included Justice BR Gavai.

While the BJP, Congress, RJD, JD(U), CPI and the Lok Janshakti Party have to pay Rs 1 lakh each for partial non-compliance, the CPI(M) and NCP have been ordered to pay Rs 5 lakh each for total non-compliance.

Holding the eight political parties guilty of contempt of court, the Bench ordered them to deposit the fine in the account created by the Election Commission in eight weeks.

“No one can deny that the menace of criminalisation in the Indian political system is growing day by day…This court, time and again, has appealed to the law-makers to take steps for bringing out amendments so that the involvement of persons with criminal antecedents in polity is prohibited. All these appeals have fallen on the deaf ears. The political parties refuse to wake up from deep slumber,” the top court said.

The Election Commission had told the court that 469 candidates having criminal antecedents were fielded by 10 political parties in the recently held Bihar Assembly polls.