New Delhi, Sep 25: The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to disqualify candidates contesting polls after court frames criminal charges against them, issuing directions on curbing criminalisation of politics. The five-judge constitution bench comprising Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, Justice Fali Nariman, Justice AM Khanwilkar, Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice Indu Malhotra leaves it to Parliament to decide on the issue. How to Find Names And Details of MPs And MLAs With Criminal Cases Against Them Online.

The apex court said candidates contesting elections must declare their criminal antecedents. Political parties must put up criminal antecedents of their candidates on their websites and Parliament must make a law to ensure candidates with criminal antecedents don't enter public life and take part in lawmaking, the top court said. "We are not in a position to add disqualification of candidates on the filing of chargesheet in criminal cases," said the court. 58 MPs, MLAs Have Declared Hate Speech Cases, Maximum From BJP: ADR Report.

"Parliament must ensure that criminals must not come to politics. No bar on criminal antecedents of political leaders, it's Parliament to make laws," Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra said while reading out the judgment. The litigation was moved by NGO Public Interest Foundation, which demanded the apex court's intervention after pointing out that 34 per cent of the elected lawmakers in the incumbent Lok Sabha is facing trial in criminal cases. BJP Has Highest No of MPs, MLAs with Criminal Charges Related to Kidnapping: ADR.

"We can't make a law or do indirectly what we can't do directly. We will only see if we can do anything on disclosure (of criminal antecedents). We will see if we can add to the disclosure so that people make a well-informed choice at the polling booth. Let people judge," Chief Justice Misra had said on the conclusion of arguments on August 28 when the verdict was reserved.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 25, 2018 10:49 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).