SC ends lawmakers' immunity on taking bribes: A chronology of events

Following is the chronology of events that led to Supreme Court's landmark verdict holding that MPs and MLAs taking bribes to vote or make a speech in the House are not immune from criminal prosecution: * April 17, 1998: A five-judge Constitution bench, by 3:2 majority, held in the the Narasimha Rao vs CBI case, also known as JMM bribery case, that lawmakers have immunity against criminal prosecution for any speech made and the vote cast inside the House under Articles 105(2) and 194(2) of the Constitution * February 17, 2014: Jharkhand HC refuses to quash criminal case against JMM leader Sita Soren for allegedly taking bribe in Rajya Sabha polls in 2012 * September 23, 2014: A two-judge SC bench places before a larger bench the plea of JMM leader Sita Soren * March 7, 2019: A three-judge bench refers the issue related to immunity of lawmakers to a larger bench *September 20, 2023: A five-judge bench refers the issue and reconsideration of the 1998 verdict to a bench of seven judges *October 5, 2023: The seven-judge bench headed by CJI DY Chandrachud reserves judgment * March 4, 2024: Observing that bribery is not protected by parliamentary privileges, the seven-judge bench overturns five-judge bench's interpretation in the 1998 verdict in the JMM bribery case.

It holds that MPs and MLAs taking bribes to vote or make a speech in the House are not immune from criminal prosecution.