Complete trial against Cong leader in six months: MP HC

The Madhya Pradesh High Court today directed a lower court to complete within six months the trial of a defamation case filed against Congress leader K K Mishra for his allegations against Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan with regard to Vyapam scam.
A division bench of acting Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice S K Palo issued the direction to the first Additional District and Sessions court, Bhopal, while hearing a petition filed by the government demanding a speedy trial.
The case has been pending since July 28, 2014 for pre-charge evidence and only one witness has been examined by the trial court so far, the government said, alleging that Mishra was trying to delay the proceedings.

Mishra, who is the chief spokesperson of state Congress, is out on bail in the case.
Speedy trial was a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution as held by the apex court in 'Maneka Gandhi vs Union of India', the state government said.
The BJP government in MP filed a complaint against Mishra following his allegations at a press conference on June 21, 2014, that Chouhan and his wife Sadhana Singh were involved in the scam related to transport constable recruitment test conducted by the Vyapam (MP Professional Examination Board).
The next date of hearing in the Bhopal sessions court is August 24.