Publicise criminal records of candidates: Supreme Court to political parties
New Delhi, Sep 25 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed political parties to post on their websites and publicise in the media full details of the criminal charges the candidates they are fielding in elections are facing.
Pronouncing the judgment, a five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra also urged Parliament to enact a law to address the malaise of criminals entering the legislature.
He also said this law should address fake cases being instituted against political opponents.
The court directed that:
►Each contesting candidate must state in bold the criminal cases pending against him/her in the forms to be filed up at the time of filing nomination papers.
►The candidate aspiring to contest an election would be required to inform the political party about the criminal cases pending against him.
►Political parties to put-up on their website the criminal antecedents of the candidates being fielded by them in the elections.
►Political parties and the candidate will give wide publicity of the criminal cases pending against the contesting candidate both in print and electronic media after filing their nomination papers.
The apex court said it could not add any further disqualification to the law, it was now up to Parliament to make a law to prevent person with serious criminal cases from entering the legislature.
The Chief Justice wished that such a law might come sooner than later before criminalisation of politics sounds its death knell for democracy, it was required to cure the cancer of criminalisation of politics.
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Tribal couple, son hacked to death over witchcraft suspicion in Jharkhand's Godda
Godda (Jharkhand) (PTI): A tribal couple and their minor son were allegedly hacked to death by their relatives in Jharkhand's Godda district over suspicion of practising witchcraft, police said on Tuesday.
The incident took place in Danga Tola under Deodanr police station area late on Monday and police recovered their bodies on Tuesday.
"A tribal couple and their minor son were hacked to death at Danga Tola in Godda. Preliminary investigation suggests the victims were killed over suspicion of practising witchcraft," Godda Sub-divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Ashok Ravidas told PTI.
Three persons have been arrested so far, he said.
"Police have arrested three persons in this connection. During initial interrogation, the accused told the police that they suspected that the victims were practising witchcraft," the SDPO said.
The axe used to kill them has also been recovered, and further investigation into the matter is underway, he said.
Deodanr police station officer-in-charge Amit Marki said the deceased tribal couple has been identified as Darbari Murmu (55) and his wife Maki Baski (50).
Their deceased son was around 12 years old. The bodies have been sent to Sadar Hospital in Godda for post-mortem examination.
