The Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has asked for status of pending trial cases against the sitting/former legislators (MPs or MLAs) within two weeks from the concerned Courts.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey and Justice Sanjay Dhar heard a suo motu PIL registered on the directions contained in the order dated 16.09.2020 of the Supreme Court passed in Writ petition (Civil) No. 699/2016 which directed for monitoring the progress of the trial of cases pending against the sitting/former legislators (MPs or MLAs).
In terms of order passed on 20.09.2021, the arrayed respondents both from the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the Union Territory of Ladakh were directed to submit information including number of trials which are pending in different subordinate courts as well as the matters pending in the High Court against the said MPs or MLAs.
Status report stands filed on behalf of the the respondents/Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir providing information about pendency of the trial/investigation which reveals that 13 cases are pending trial before various courts in Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Union Territory of Ladakh through Secretary to Government Home Department has not filed the status report.
Ensuring the progress in the trial of the cases in J&K and Ladakh , the High Court has observed that it has become necessary to seek status of the trial from the concerned courts through Registrar Judicial of the High Court.Accordingly, the Registrar Judicial shall seek status report as directed.
Secretary to Government Home Department, Union Territory of Ladakh is also granted two weeks of more time to submit the details of the cases pending against the sitting/former legislators (MPs or MLAs) within the said period.
Copy of this order be provided to the learned counsel for the Union Territory of Ladakh for doing the needful ”, the Court directed.
The Matter is listed on 15.11.2022 for further hearing.