SC grants time to Centre to file response on plea seeking to debar political candidates who are charge-sheeted
Feb 24, 2023
New Delhi [India], February 24 : The Supreme Court on Friday granted more time to the Centre and others to file a reply to a plea seeking to debar political candidates who are charge-sheeted from contesting in the election.
A bench of justices KM Joseph and BV Nagarathna granted the last opportunity to all respondents to file a reply. The court also said that it is an important issue.
The court was dealing with a plea relating to the criminalisation of politics. The petitioner Ashwini Upadhyay has sought to debar politicians who are charge-sheeted from contesting elections.
He said that the country is celebrating 75 years of Independence and expressed his concern that a person charged with kidnapping and extortion is elected.
The court opined that there must be accountability at all levels. The court listed the matter for further hearing on April 10.
Earlier the Supreme Court issued notice to the Centre and Election Commission on a petition seeking direction to debar persons, against whom charges have been framed in serious offences, from contesting elections.
The PIL filed by advocate Ashwini Upadhyay sought direction to the Centre and the Election Commission of India (ECI) to take steps to debar people who are put on trial in cases of serious offences.
It claimed that despite recommendations of the Law Commission and the court's earlier directions, the Centre and the ECI have not taken steps in this regard. In view of the fact that out of 539 winners of the Lok Sabha election in 2019, as many as 233 (43 per cent) declared criminal cases against themselves, it stated.
The plea added that there was an increase of 109 per cent in the number of MPs with declared serious criminal cases since 2009, with one MP declaring 204 criminal cases against himself including cases related to committing culpable homicide, house trespass, robbery, criminal intimidation etc.
It stated, "What is alarming is that the percentage of candidates with criminal antecedents and their chances of winning have actually increased rapidly over the years.
