391 cases against MPs, MLAs pending in Kerala courts: Government report
Kochi: A total of 391 cases against sitting and former Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) in Kerala are currently pending in courts across the state, a government report has revealed. Of these, 59 cases have been pending for more than 10 years.
According to the report, cited by The New Indian Express on Thursday, 100 cases have been awaiting trial for five to ten years, while the remaining 232 cases are less than five years old. The report also highlighted that warrants were issued in 55 of these cases, but only 12 have been executed.
In the 59 cases that are more than a decade old, police did not receive summonses in 29 cases. Of the 30 summonses received, 27 were served, while three could not be delivered as the accused were absconding. In these decade-old cases, 12 warrants were issued — only two were executed. The remaining 10 were not carried out due to various reasons, including the death of the accused, their status as absconding, or a stay granted by the High Court
Concerned about the slow progress, the Kerala High Court on Wednesday directed the state government and court administration to instruct nodal officers to coordinate efforts and expedite the service of summonses, particularly in cases pending for more than 10 years. It issued the order in a suo motu case initiated to monitor the progress of the pending cases against the MPs/MLAs.
The report cited specific examples, including a warrant issued against Minister P. A. Mohamed Riyas, which remained unexecuted due to the accused being “not found in person.” In another case involving former MLA C. K. Saseendran, the police report said they “tried to execute the warrant personally on multiple occasions by visiting the respondent’s last known residence different times of the day. However, the respondent was found to be absent on each visit. Enquiries with neighbours revealed that the respondent has not been seen in the locality for several days.”
The government report said in the 100 cases pending for five to ten years, the police did not receive 36 summonses. Of the 64 summonses received, 61 were served. Three could not be delivered due to incorrect or outdated addresses. Nineteen warrants were issued in these cases, but 17 remain unexecuted due to reasons such as the accused being deceased, bedridden, or not residing at the listed address.
As for the 232 cases pending for less than five years, police failed to receive 33 summonses. Of the 199 summonses received, 128 were served. The remaining 71 could not be delivered for reasons such as the accused being absconding, in judicial custody, or summonses being recently issued. Warrants were issued in 24 of these cases; eight were executed, and 16 remain pending.
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UP Cong holds statewide protest seeking probe into FIR against Swami Avimukteshwaranand
Lucknow (PTI): The Uttar Pradesh Congress on Wednesday staged a statewide protest demanding a fair and transparent inquiry into the FIR lodged against Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and those who filed the complaint against him.
In a statement issued here, the party said memorandums addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi were submitted through district magistrates in all districts of the state.
Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson Manish Hindvi told PTI that the memorandums were handed over through the district administration in all 75 districts.
In the memorandum, the party alleged that Saraswati and his disciples were "unnecessarily harassed and humiliated" by police on the occasion of Amavasya and were prevented from taking a ritual bath (at the Magh Mela). It further alleged that some disciples were manhandled and taken to a police station.
The memorandum also claimed that an FIR was later registered against Saraswati, his disciple Swami Mukundanand Brahmachari and several unidentified persons in a sexual harassment case. It termed the case a "conspiracy" aimed at tarnishing the seer's reputation.
Citing Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution, the memorandum stated that these provisions guarantee religious freedom and the right of religious denominations to manage their own affairs.
It described the position of shankaracharya held by Saraswati as "one of the highest spiritual posts in Sanatan tradition" and alleged that the entire episode appeared to have been "orchestrated in a planned manner".
"We request that the background of the persons who got the FIR registered be investigated in a transparent manner by a retired high court judge and strict action be taken against them," the memorandum said.
It also sought a "fair and transparent probe" into the allegations levelled against Saraswati so that the truth could be established.
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai had told reporters in Varanasi after meeting Saraswati that the party stood firmly with him.
The Congress said it would continue to press for an impartial inquiry into the entire episode.
On February 21, an FIR was lodged in Prayagraj against Saraswati and his disciple Mukundanand Brahmachari on charges of sexually abusing two persons, including a minor, over the past year at a gurukul and religious congregations, including the recently concluded Magh Mela.
Days after he was booked, Saraswati had said on Monday that he would not oppose his arrest and asserted that the "fabricated story" would be exposed sooner or later.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Saraswati alleged that criminals rule in Uttar Pradesh, level allegations and influence investigations, as he denied having any contact with the two persons for whose alleged sexual abuse he has been booked.
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