SC to decide the fate of MPs expelled in Cash for Question scam

New Delhi, Jan 7 (UNI) The Supreme Court will decide this week the fate of 10 Lok Sabha MPs who were expelled by Speaker Somnath Chatterjee on December 23 last year for their alleged involvement in Cash for Query scam.

The five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Y K Sabharwal is also going to decide whether the Speaker has the power to expel a sitting member of the house.

Mr Somnath Chatterjee had refused to submit to the jurisdiction of the court on the grounds that the Speaker enjoys immunity against any judicial review of his actions taken to uphold the dignity of the house and also to regulate its proceedings.

The apex court has stayed the byelection to the 10 Lok Sabha seats lying vacant following the expulsion of Raja Rampal and 9 other Lok Sabha members.

The MPs have challenged their expulsion on the grounds that in the constitution of India there is no provision for the expulsion of the sitting members of the house and the Speaker can only disqualify a member for a certain period of time.

The verdict is going to be pronuonced this week as the Chief Justice is due to retire on the 14th of this month with Friday being his last working day.

Justice K G Balakrishnan is going to be administered oath as the next Chief Justice on Sunday by President APJ Abdul Kalam.

In all 11 MPs including 10 Lok Sabha members and 1 Rajya Sabha member were expelled by the Speaker and Rajya Sabha chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat after they were caught taking money for raising questions in the house in a sting operation carried out by a private TV news channel.

UNI