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SC goes tough on corrupt politicos
Published on Wed, Dec 06, 2006 at 11:57, Updated on Thu, Jun 21, 2007 at 10:29 in section
Tags: Supreme Court, Corruption , New Delhi
New Delhi: Removing the protective buffer which corrupt politicians enjoyed the Supreme Court has ruled that any investigating agency will no longer need prior permission to go after them.
In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that no prior sanction is necessary to prosecute former Chief ministers, MPs and MLAs in corruption cases.
Punjab government Counsel Sudhir Walia said, ”The Supreme Court ruling that no prior sanction is required to proceed against a former MP, MLA or Chief minister, was a landmark judgement. In pith and substance in case of previous records of corruption, the trial must go on and you cannot stall the proceedings and unnecessarily delay the matter on frivolous grounds like for sanctions and chargesheets.”
While politicians and members of the legal fraternity have welcomed this judgment there is a lurking fear that the judgment could be misused by one politician against another.
On Wednesday, the politicians probably understood which way the wind is blowing. This judgement came within a day of former Union Minister Shibu Soren being handed down a life sentence for murder. All politicians except the Left welcomed the verdict.
Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav said, “Supreme Court has given and led down a principle where needed where not needed.”
“Politicians should not and cannot be corrupt,” said Congress MP Kapil Sibal.
CPI MP Gurdas Dasgupta said, “In my opinion the judgment of the supreme court is an example of overactivism.”
The Left's opposition is principally because Speaker Somnath Chatterjee has never taken kindly to the judiciary intruding the legislative domain. Chatterjee has guarded his turf fiercely and his supporters have often echoed that stand.
| PARLIAMENTARIANS' SPEAK | |
 RJD MP, Lalu Prasad: "The court has only made a distinction. I believe in the judiciary." | |
| Congress MP, Abhishek Manu Singhvi: "The question was whether you need permission to start the investigation. Under the law you do not." | |
| Congress MP, Shankersinh Vaghela: "If Soren was convicted based on forensic evidence, even the Gujarat CM should be convicted. If Soren is indirectly responsible, even Modi is." | |
| Trinamool Congress MP, Dinesh Trivedi: "It's a matter of shame that we've stooped so low that the Supreme Court has had to make such observations." | |
| Raghuvansh Prasad, RJD MP: "If the law is unconstitutional, then the SC has the right to intervene, but not otherwise." | |
| Kapil Sibal, Congress MP: "The politicians should not and cannot be corrupt." | |
| Gurudas Dasgupta, CPI MP: "The parliamentarians should have some special privileges. It's a case of judicial overactivism." | |
| Punjab State Counsel Sudhir Walia: "The Supreme Court ruling that no prior sanction is required to proceed against a former MP, MLA or Chief minister, was a landmark judgement. In pith and substance in case of previous records of corruption, the trial must go on and you cannot stall the proceedings and unnecessarily delay the matter on frivolous grounds like for sanctions and chargesheets." |
(With PTI inputs)
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