SC to hear PIL on criminal candidates on march 23

The Supreme Court will hear on March 23 a PIL praying not to stay the conviction of those candidates who are under trial for serious offences and have criminal antecedents. Three advocates have approached the Supreme Court in view of the large number of politicians with criminal background approaching the courts to get their conviction stayed to contest the coming Lok Sabha election. The apex court is also going to hear a similar petition filed by RJD MP from Siwan Mohamad Syed Shahabuddin, who has been convicted in a murder case and in an attempt to murder case. He has been given life imprisonment in the murder case and ten years imprisonment in the other case. The petitioners said all the criminals-turned-politicians were rushing to this court relying on the judgment in Navjot Singh Sidhu case in which his conviction was stayed by the Supreme Court in a road rage case, in which he was sentenced to three years imprisonment by Punjab and Haryana High Court. According to the petitioners, Siddu’s case cannot be treated as precedent in case of these hardened criminals who have a large number of criminal cases pending against them. Another RJD MP Pappu Yadav is also seeking similar relief from Patna High Court as he is also serving life imprisonment in a murder case. Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, who has been nominated by Samajwadi party from the Lucknow Lok Sabha seat, is also seeking stay of his conviction in the 1993 Mumbai serial Bomb Blast case in which he has been given six year imprisonment by TADA court for possessing illegal arms. The apex court has, however, rejected similar prayer by another gangster Bablu Srivastava who is serving life imprisonment in a murder case. According to the petitioners, these criminals can at least be kept away from the election arena by refusing to stay their conviction, which will be a right step to check criminalisaton of politics in the country. As per the Representation of People (RP) Act, a person who has been awarded a sentence of more then two years cannot contest election unless and until his conviction is stayed by the appellate court.

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