Ensure The Protection Of Witnesses In Cases Against MPs-MLAs

Ensure the protection of witnesses in the cases against MPs-MLAs: Supreme Court directs courts.

The Supreme Court has directed the lower courts to ensure the protection of witnesses under the Witness Protection Scheme in cases against current and former MPs and MLAs, irrespective of whether such a demand has been made on their behalf.

A three-member bench of Justices NV Ramana, Justice Suryakant and Justice Anirudh Bose said that the Witness Protection Scheme, 2018 approved by it, should be strictly enforced by the Center, states, and union territories.

The bench said, “Keeping in view the danger in such cases, the lower courts may consider providing protection to the witnesses under the said scheme, even if a request has not been made on their behalf.”

People in such cases avoid coming to the courts to testify. Hearing a PIL filed by BJP leader and lawyer Ashwani Kumar Upadhyay, the bench has also directed that cases related to MPs and MLAs should not be postponed due to public interest.

The bench also clarified that the instructions given in the current writ proceedings apply in the cases of both current and former MPs and MLAs.

The Supreme Court gave the solicitor general Tushar Mehta, appearing on behalf of the Center, another week to explain the status quo against MPs and MLAs being investigated by special agencies.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court had expressed its displeasure against MPs-MLAs over long-pending cases in courts across the country.

The apex court expressed its dissatisfaction when a lawyer appearing for the Calcutta High Court stated that a case against a former MLA in Bengal has been pending for more than 35 years.

Not only this, more than 4,400 criminal cases are pending in the courts across the country against current and former MPs-MLAs.