In a groundbreaking decision on Monday, March 4, the Supreme Court of India, led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, overturned the 1998 PV Narasimha Rao judgment. This ruling had previously granted members of parliament (MPs) and legislative assemblies (MLAs) immunity under Articles 105(2) and 194(2) of the Constitution for receiving bribes related to votes or speeches.

This landmark ruling, delivered by a seven-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, along with Justices AS Bopanna, MM Sundresh, PS Narasimha, JB Pardiwala, Sanjay Kumar, and Manoj Misra.

The original ruling, delivered by a five-judge bench with a 3:2 majority, provided this immunity under parliamentary privileges outlined in Articles 105(2) and 194(2) of the Constitution.

The reconsideration of the 1998 verdict emerged from an appeal by Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Sita Soren, who faced accusations of accepting a bribe. The recent decision by the Supreme Court marks a departure from the previous interpretation, emphasizing that lawmakers are not shielded from bribery charges even when linked to their legislative responsibilities.