TIL Desk/National/New Delhi/ The Centre on Tuesday informed the Supreme Court that it has decided to set up 12 special courts to deal exclusively with criminal cases against lawmakers and politicians. In an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court, the Centre said a scheme has been framed for setting up these courts to dispose off cases against political persons. The scheme for a one-year period will involve an expenditure of Rs 7.80 crore.
“On December 2, the Finance Ministry’s Department of Expenditure have in-principle approval for the same,” the Centre said in response to a 2014 court direction to set up special courts to exclusively handle the criminal cases against lawmakers and politicians so that trials are expedited and completed in one year.
The top court gave the directions on November 1 on a public interest litigation by lawyer and BJP leader Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay who sought a lifetime ban on convicted lawmakers and setting up of special courts for trying lawmakers accused of criminal offences.
The court had directed the government to frame a scheme for setting up such courts exclusively to deal with criminal cases involving political persons on the lines of the fast-track courts which were set up for a period of five years which was later extended, though the scheme now stands discontinued.
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