The Supreme Court has restored the membership of Sunil Singh, an MLC from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), who was expelled from the Bihar Legislative Council for inappropriate behavior in the assembly. The court ruled that while his conduct was wrong, the punishment given was too harsh.
The court noted that Sunil Singh’s term as an MLC will end in 2026, and since he has already been out of the assembly for seven months, that should be considered as sufficient punishment.
Court’s Warning
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh stated that constitutional courts cannot completely avoid interfering in legislative matters. However, the judges also made it clear that if Sunil Singh misbehaves again, the Ethics Committee and the Chairman of the Legislative Council can take action against him.
Reason for Expulsion
Sunil Singh was expelled from the Bihar Legislative Council after he allegedly behaved inappropriately towards Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and mimicked him inside the assembly. His membership was canceled based on the recommendation of the Ethics Committee.
He challenged this decision in the Supreme Court, which issued a notice on August 30, 2024, seeking a response from the Legislative Council Chairman’s office.
Impact of the Decision
Meanwhile, a notification for elections to fill the vacant seat was issued, and senior Janata Dal (United) leader Lalan Singh was the only candidate who filed a nomination. This meant that he was set to be elected unopposed. However, with Sunil Singh’s reinstatement, this election process has now been stopped.
The Supreme Court also ruled that while Sunil Singh will not receive any payment for the seven months he was out of the assembly, he will still be entitled to all benefits after completing his term.
