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States ignoring PM's anti-graft missive: Apex court
Thursday November 17, 2011 08:04:25 PM,
IANS
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New Delhi: The Supreme
Court Thursday expressed concern over states ignoring the prime
minister's missive asking them to provide infrastructure and set
up special CBI courts for speedy trial of graft cases. The court
told the states to do so within eight weeks.
The apex court bench of Justice G.S. Singhvi and Justice S.J.
Mukhopadhaya said the "prime minister's letter (written in 2009 to
all states) has been thrown in dustbin by the (Andhra Pradesh)
state government".
The court said this when the Andhra Pradesh government sought more
time to set up the special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)
courts. The court was hearing a plea on the setting up of special
courts to try corruption cases.
The prime minister had announced the setting up of 71 special
courts all over the country.
Eight states, including Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, West Bengal and
Delhi, were singled out for not acting on the prime minister's
2009 letter asking them to set up special courts to try graft
cases.
"It is an unfortunate situation. It is for them (states) to take
action and not for this court to take action," the court said.
It was the most unfortunate scenario and it was only under the
possible threat of contempt against the chief secretary that the
state governments take action, the judges said.
Pulling up lax state government, the court said: "Such states
which have not so far set up special courts as per the prime
minister's direction should make these special courts functional
in eight weeks."
The states were also directed to create the infrastructure for
these courts.
Noting that a "majority of cases taken up by special courts
involve cases of public servants", the court said that it was the
duty of the chief secretaries of states to take action but they
did not.
The court was informed that Delhi had 19 special CBI courts
dealing with 1,042 cases.
The judges said that the high courts concerned would appoint
judicial officers for these courts. They also asked the central
governments to take steps for appointment of public prosecutors
for these courts.
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