Historic Verdict: Supreme Court Overturns 1998 Ruling P.V. Narasimha Rao v. State (CBI/SPE), Ends Immunity for Lawmakers Taking Bribes for Votes on 4th March, 2024
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State (CBI/SPE), Ends Immunity for Lawmakers Taking Bribes for Votes on 4th March, 2024 06 Mar 2025 [post-views] Table of contents Background P.V. Narasimha Rao v. State (CBI/SPE), (1998) SC Sita Soren v. Union of India, 2014 SC Reference to 7-Judge Bench 7-Judge Bench Decision Parliamentary Privilege in India Whether Parliamentary privileges attract immunity to a member of Parliament or of the Legislatures who engages in bribery in connection with their speech or vote? At which stage does the offence of Bribery crystallizes? Criminal Appeal No. 451 of 2019 Sita Soren …Appellant Versus Union of India …Respondent Date of judgement:- 4th march, 2024 Presiding judge: DY Chandrachud, CJI, AS Bopanna, MM Sundresh, Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha, JB Pardiwala, Sanjay Kumar and Manoj Misra, JJ. The 7-Judge Constitution Bench overturned the 5-Judge Bench 1998 verdict in P.V. Narasimha Rao v. State (CBI/SPE), (1998) 4 SCC 626, wherein it was established that the Member of Parliaments (‘MP’) and Member of Legislative Assemblies (‘MLA’) enjoyed immunity if they cast vote in the House after taking bribe for it. Background Article 105(2) and 194(2) of the Constitution Article 105(2) of the Constitution of India grants immunity to MPs against prosecution in respect of anything said or any vote given by him in Parliament or any committee. Article 194(2) of the Constitution grants similar immunity to MLAs. P.V. Narasimha Rao v. State (CBI/SPE), (1998) SC The majority of 5-Judge Constitution Bench held that the MPs who allegedly accepted bribe and voted against the no-confidence motion were entitled to immunity under Article 105(2) of Constitution. It said that “no member (of Parliament) is answerable in a court of law or any similar tribunal for what he has said in Parliament. This again is recognition of the fact that a member needs the freedom to say what he thinks is right in Parliament undeterred by the fear of being proceeded against. A vote, whether cast by voice or gesture or the aid of a machine, is treated as an extension of speech or a substitute for speech and is given the protection that the spoken word has.” Sita Soren v. Union of India, 2014 SC This case revolved around complaints of Horse-Trading during election of the Council of the States, and facts reflected that after receiving money, the said member did caste vote, but not in favour of the bribe giver. The Court relied on the majority view in P.V. Narasimha Rao (supra) to express that the act of receiving money had no nexus with the alleged conspiracy or the act of casting vote. The Court viewed that the petitioner’s act of receiving money pursuant to the conspiracy and agreement with bribe giver lacked nexus with the vote due to the fact that she did not cast vote in favour of the said person and will have no immunity as guaranteed under Article 194(2) of the Constitution. Reference to 7-Judge Bench While hearing an appeal against the High Court’s decision, the three-judge Bench of the Court said that the question that whether by virtue of Article 105(2) and 194(2) of the Constitution the MPs or MLAs can claim immunity from the prosecution on a criminal charge of bribery, was dealt by a 5-Judge Bench in P.V. Narasimha Rao (supra), hence, considering the wide ramification of the question, the doubts raised and the issue being a matter of public importance, the correctness of the P.V. Narasimha Rao was referred to a larger bench. 7-Judge Bench Decision Reconsidering PV Narasimha Rao does not violate the principle of stare decisis Referring to Maganlal Chhaganlal (P) Ltd. v. Municipal Corpn. of Greater Bombay, (1974) 2 SCC 402 the Court said that the ability of the Court to reconsider its decisions is necessary for the organic development of law and the advancement of justice. Further, the Court said that if the Court is denuded of its power to reconsider its decisions, the development of constitutional jurisprudence would virtually come to a standstill. The Court also reiterated that the doctrine of stare decisis is not an inflexible rule of law, and it cannot result in perpetuating an error to the detriment of the general welfare of the public. The Court explained that its earlier decisions can be reviewed by the Court, if it believes that there is an error, or the effect of the decision would harm the interests of the public or if “it is inconsistent with the legal philosophy of the Constitution”. The Court stated that “the period of time over which the case has held the field is not of primary consequence”. Hence, the Court said that the majority judgment in PV Narasimha Rao (supra) deals with an important question of constitutional interpretation which has wide ramifications on public interest, probity in public life and the functioning of parliamentary democracy and as it contains several apparent errors inter alia in its interpretation of the text of Article 105; its conceptualization of the scope and purpose of parliamentary privilege and its approach to international jurisprudence all of which have resulted in a paradoxical outcome. Parliamentary Privilege in India The Court said that the clause (1) and (2) of the Article 105 of









