India's top court Wednesday ordered the government to establish special tribunals to fast-track the trials of lawmakers charged with criminal offences, saying it must crack down on lawlessness in politics. The government, which told the Supreme Court it was not against the idea, has six weeks to submit a plan for expediting cases against politicians through India's notoriously sluggish legal system.
Judges in New Delhi said it was imperative these outstanding prosecutions were resolved within the year. "We will not let you wash your hands (of the responsibility)," Justice Ranjan Gogoi told lawyers for the central government. The government must update the court about the status of unresolved criminal cases dating back to 2014 involving more than 1,500 politicians, and any new charges registered since then, Justice Gogoi said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was elected in 2014, has vowed to cleanse parliament of criminals, where a record number of elected representatives face charges.