New Delhi, August 17 :
A fresh status report submitted before the Supreme Court of India has highlighted the continuing criminalisation of politics, stating that 326 sitting Members of Parliament (MPs) have declared criminal cases against themselves, while Chief Ministers of 14 out of 28 states have also declared criminal cases, including serious offences.
The report was submitted by Senior Advocate Vijay Hansaria, who is assisting the Supreme Court as amicus curiae in a Public Interest Litigation seeking the speedy disposal of criminal cases pending against elected representatives.
According to the affidavit, 4,192 criminal cases are pending against current and former Members of Parliament and Members of Legislative Assemblies across the country.
251 Lok Sabha MPs Have Declared Criminal Cases
The data placed before the apex court showed that 251 of the 543 Lok Sabha members have declared criminal cases against themselves. Of these, 170 MPs are facing serious criminal cases involving offences punishable with imprisonment of five years or more.
In the Rajya Sabha, 75 of the 233 members have declared criminal cases, including 40 members facing serious criminal cases.
The figures relating to Lok Sabha members are based on data compiled by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).
14 Chief Ministers Have Declared Criminal Cases
The affidavit further stated that 14 Chief Ministers out of 28 states have declared criminal cases against themselves, including serious offences.
According to the data cited in the report, Telangana Chief Minister Anumula Revanth Reddy has declared 89 cases, followed by West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari with 29 cases and Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar with 19 cases.
The declaration of criminal cases does not by itself establish guilt, as the cases remain subject to judicial proceedings and determination by the competent courts.
4,192 Criminal Cases Pending Against MPs and MLAs
Hansaria informed the Supreme Court that despite continued monitoring by the apex court and various High Courts, the number of pending criminal cases against MPs and MLAs has remained almost unchanged since 2018.
After collating information received from different High Courts, the affidavit stated that 1,243 criminal cases were disposed of during 2025, while 1,050 new cases were registered during the same year.
The total number of criminal cases pending against current and former MPs and MLAs was placed at 4,192.
Kerala MPs Among Those With Highest Share of Criminal Cases
The analysis of data received from High Courts, excluding Uttar Pradesh as the Allahabad High Court’s report was not received, showed a high proportion of MPs facing criminal cases in several states.
In Kerala, 19 out of 20 MPs, or 95 per cent, were reported to have criminal cases, with 11 facing serious cases.
In Telangana, 14 of 17 MPs faced criminal cases, while in Odisha, 16 of 21 MPs were reported to have criminal cases.
The affidavit also stated that 10 of 14 MPs in Jharkhand and 26 of 39 MPs in Tamil Nadu faced criminal cases.
A significant proportion of MPs from several other major states, including Maharashtra, West Bengal, Bihar, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, were also reported to have criminal cases.
The data further showed that Haryana had one MP facing criminal charges out of 10, Chhattisgarh one out of 11, Punjab two out of 13, Assam three out of 14, Delhi three out of seven, Rajasthan four out of 25, Gujarat five out of 25 and Madhya Pradesh nine out of 29.
Special Courts Proposed for MPs and MLAs
The amicus curiae has urged the Supreme Court to ensure that criminal cases involving MPs and MLAs are dealt with on a priority basis and disposed of expeditiously.
Hansaria proposed that Special Courts designated for MPs and MLAs should exclusively conduct trials involving lawmakers until those cases are concluded.
He further suggested that Principal District and Sessions Judges should assign regular judicial work to such Special Courts only after trials involving MPs and MLAs have been completed.
High Courts Asked to Monitor Cases Monthly
The affidavit has also sought directions for the High Courts to monitor the progress of criminal trials against lawmakers on a monthly basis.
It has proposed that such cases should ordinarily be concluded within one year from the framing of charges, while High Courts should closely monitor cases that have remained pending for more than three years.
Hansaria is assisting the Supreme Court in the PIL filed by Ashwini Upadhyay, which seeks the speedy disposal of criminal cases against elected representatives.
Supreme Court Had Earlier Directed Speedy Trials
The Supreme Court, in its significant judgment delivered on November 9, 2023, issued several directions aimed at expediting trials in criminal cases pending against lawmakers.
The apex court directed High Courts to constitute special benches for monitoring such cases and asked designated Special Courts to avoid granting adjournments except in rare and compelling circumstances.
The court also directed that criminal cases against Members of Parliament, Members of Legislative Assemblies and Members of Legislative Councils be given priority.
The latest status report has once again brought the issue of criminalisation of politics and prolonged pendency of criminal cases against elected representatives before the Supreme Court.
The amicus curiae has sought stronger judicial monitoring, dedicated judicial resources and time-bound disposal of cases involving lawmakers, amid concerns that the existing mechanism has not resulted in a significant reduction in the overall pendency. (KNC)