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New Delhi ‘16.11.2022-: There are 51 Members of Parliament (MPs), sitting and former who are implicated by the Enforcement Directorate under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). A status report has been submitted before the Supreme Court by the ED in response to the Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay vs Union of India case.
Similarly, 71 MLAs, current and former, are accused of offences under PMLA. The report did not specify exactly how many of those are sitting MPs/MLAs and how many are former MPs/ MLAs. A similar report by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) says that there are 121 cases pending for trial against sitting and former MPs and MLAs.
The number of MPs involved in those cases are 51 out of which 14 are sitting, 37 are former and 5 are deceased now. Similarly, 112 MLAs are involved in CBI cases out of which 34 are sitting, 78 are former and 9 are deceased now. It was further pointed out that the number of cases pending for investigation against lawmakers by the CBI is 37.
These figures were set out in detail in another report filed by Senior Counsel Vijay Hansaria before the Apex court. The report by Hansaria was filed pursuant to an order passed by the Apex court seeking a status report relating to the pendency and grant of sanctions for prosecution, the expected time for completion of the investigation, and reasons for the delay in the same.
The order by the top court came after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay sought a speedy trial through a petition in cases against MPs and MLAs. The petition has also challenged the constitutional validity of provisions of the Representation of the People’s Act which limits the period of disqualification of a person to contest an election as an MP or MLA only for a period of six years from release on conviction, even for a heinous offense.
