Bombay High Court (HC) has directed the state law and judiciary department to fill vacancies of special public prosecutors (SPP) — mandatory under Maharashtra Protection of Investors Deposit (Financial Scheme) (MPID) Act, 1999.
Cases of several ponzi scheme victims, most recent being the Rs 2,000-crore Speak Asia scam, are pending before special MPID courts.
Such schemes promising double returns on investment are run by fly-by-night operators who dupe the gullible.
With no designated SPPs to plead cases tried under MPID Act for nearly a year, Nana Desai moved HC claiming functioning of MPID courts had been seriously affected. A division bench of justices V M Kanade and P D Kode directed the principal secretary, law and judiciary department, to ensure appointment of SPPs dedicated to MPID cases.
The bench also asked an additional public prosecutor to check functioning of the courts. Principal judge of the city civil and sessions court had earlier complained cases had piled up in the absence of an SPP.
Kalpana Chavan, chief public prosecutor of the sessions court, was directed to take additional charge of the MPID court in the absence of a designated prosecutor. She has sought an urgent appointment with the law and judiciary department saying several high-profile cases are pending in the sessions court.
Former sessions court judge Laxmi R Rao had observed in April last year that the state government had not appointed a competent authority under MPID Act for years, resulting in pendency of cases.
He ordered the home department April 24 to take immediate steps to appoint competent authorities for cases under MPID Act, but no appointment has been made till date.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/appoint-spps-for-mpid-courts-hc/1053259/
