In Brief
This contempt petition addresses the criminalisation of politics in India and non-compliance with directions issued by a Constitution Bench in Public Interest Foundation v. Union of India. The Supreme Court found that 43% of MPs in 2019 had pending criminal cases, yet political parties provided no justification for selecting such candidates. The Court held that political parties must mandatorily publish detailed information about candidates with pending criminal cases—including reasons for selection based on merit, not electoral viability—on their websites, in newspapers, and social media within prescribed timelines, and submit compliance reports to the Election Commission. Non-compliance constitutes contempt of court.
The lawyer headnote and full judgment text are available to registered users.