New Delhi: Taking exception to the hurry in which the Bihar Government moved to withdraw criminal cases against Union Minister Taslimuddin, the Supreme Court today (Sep 6, 2004) restrained the trial court from proceeding further on the issue and issued notices to Taslimuddin, Bihar Government and the Centre.

This interim order was passed by a Bench comprising Justice N Santosh Hegde and Justice S B Sinha taking note of the allegations made in a PIL filed by Delhi Study Group that the prosecution has moved to withdraw the attempt to murder case immediately after Taslimuddin was made a Minister though the case was pending since 1996.

DSG counsel and senior advocate Mukul Rohtagi said that the application for withdrawal was moved on August 14 late in the day, the file transferred to a Magistrate and the arrest warrant stayed - all in the same day.

An anguished Court asked, "Does it not show extraordinary interest on the part of the Government. What is the mortal hurry in the hearing of the application seeking withdrawal of the case? What is the mortal urgency to withdraw the case?"

"A case which was kept pending since the year 2000, why did the Government choose to move so fast. Does this happen to every accused in the country," the Bench asked.

However, the court refused a plea by the petitioners to vacate the stay granted by the trial court at Araria on the operation of the arrest warrant issued against the Minister.