Gauhati High Court seeks updated status report on cases against MPs and MLAs

Registrar General directed to submit data on Nagaland, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam

DIMAPUR — The Gauhati High Court has directed the Registrar General of High Court to submit a detailed status report on cases pending against Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of Legislative Assemblies (MLAs) in Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Arunachal Pradesh.

The direction was passed by a bench comprising justices Suman Shyam and Arun Dev Choudhury on May 8, during a suo-moto proceeding initiated based on a Supreme Court order of November 9, 2023, which laid down certain guidelines for expeditious disposal of cases pending against MPs and MLAs.

In the order, the court observed that while an initial list of pending cases was provided, there is no updated information available to facilitate further orders. The Registrar General has been directed to collate information on the number of cases, their current status, and any existing stay orders that might hinder the expeditious disposal of these cases within the Gauhati High Court, including its outlying benches.

This directive extends to cases pending before district courts and special judge courts in the four states. The Gauhati High Court will review the report on May 31, 2024, when it will also hear connected proceedings related to similar cases, the order stated.

Copies of the order are to be provided to the Registrar General and the Advocate Generals/Additional Advocate Generals of the four states, it added.