Following a direction of Supreme Court, the Union Territory Government has constituted a district-level coordination committees to monitor cases against elected representatives. The Supreme Court in its recent judgment in Public Interest Foundation and others versus Union of India on March 10, 2014 issued the directions. It directed that in relation to sitting MPs and MLAs who have charges framed against them for the offences which are specified in section 8 (1), 8 (2) and 8 (3) of the Representation of People’s Act, the trial should be concluded as speedily and expeditiously as may be possible and in no case later than one year from the date of the framing of charge(s).
In such cases, as far as possible, the trial should be conducted on a day-to-day basis. If for some extraordinary circumstances the concerned court is being not able to conclude the trial within one year from the date of framing of charge(s), such court should submit the report to the Chief Justice of the respective High Court indicating special reasons for not adhering to the above time limit and delay in conclusion of the trial.
In such instances, the Chief Justice will issue appropriate directions to the concerned court extending the time for conclusion of the trial. In compliance to the directions of the Supreme Court, the Home Secretary, Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has requested the territorial administration to constitute a District Level Coordination Committee for monitoring these cases and it should be headed by District and Sessions Judge.
The District Magistrate/ District Collector and Superintendent of Police should be members of this committee and the Public Prosecutor should be its Secretary.
According to a notification issued by Law Department, the Lieutenant-Governor A.K.Singh has issued orders constituting the District Level Coordination Committees, each for Puducherry District and Karaikal District.
The Principal District and Sessions is the chairman of District Level Coordination Committee for Puducherry District while District Collector, the Superintendent of Police (HQ), are other members and the Public Prosecutor, Puducherry is the Secretary.
Likewise, the District Level Coordination Committee for Karaikal District is headed by the District and Sessions Judge, Karaikal and the District Collector, the Superintendent of Police, are the members and the Additional Public Prosecutor is the Secretary.
