Only assembly speaker, deputy speaker enjoy immunity: SC

Everyone else falls in the same category and could not claim a privilege that is not available to the common man, says SC

The Supreme Court said Tuesday that except for the speaker of a state assembly and his deputy, no one else enjoys immunity from the Lokayukta's investigations into allegations of corruption.

Everyone else falls in the same category and could not claim a privilege that is not available to the common man, an apex court bench of Chief Justice P. Sathasivam, Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Shiva Kirti Singh said in its judgment Tuesday.

The court also set aside the Madhya Pradesh assembly's show cause notice to the Lokayukta for breach of privilege for summoning its secretary and seeking certain documents in the course of its probe on a complaint alleging corruption in a construction work in 2007.

Holding that the action of the Lokayukta was legal and could not constitute breach of privilege, Chief Justice Sathasivam, pronouncing the judgment, said that "any person who is aware of breach of Prevention of Corruption Act is duty-bound to give information to the police and co-operate with it".