Supreme Court seeks response of states on fast-tracking of trials of VIPs

The Supreme Court has asked states to respond to a public interest litgation (PIL) that has sought a framing of guidelines for carrying out a speedy probe and subsequent fast-track of trials of cases involving influential public functionaries.

A two-judge bench of the apex court comprising of Justices A K Patnaik and V Gopala Gowda, after

considering a report of the Law Commission on fast-tracking trials involving influential persons, has said that apart from the Centre, it would also like to hear from all state governments on the issues raised in the petition.

The PIL was originally filed in 2004 by lawyer V K Ohri. Appearing for the petitioner, Counsel Prashant Bhushan referred to the report of the Law Commission, and said, the investigation of all criminal cases involving influential persons, should be monitored by the police chief of each state, and there should be a fixed time period for completion of the investigation.

The apex court has listed the PIL for further hearing in January 2014.