THE Supreme Court agreed to hear pleas of RJD MP Manoj Jha and activist Arun Agrawal challenging the constitutional validity of a law provision granting blanket immunity from prosecution to the CEC and the ECs. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana issued notice to the Centre and sought its response in four weeks.

 

The bench told advocate Fauzia Shakil, appearing for Jha, and advocate Neha Rathi, appearing for Agrawal, that the court is tagging the matter with a petition pending on the similar issue. It listed the matter for hearing on December 18. Jha in the plea said it challenges the constitutional validity of Section 16 of the CEC and other ECs Act, 2023, which bars every court in the country from entertaining or continuing any civil or criminal proceeding against any person who is or was a CEC or EC, for anything done “or purporting” to be done in discharge of duty.