JUDGMENT :

1. The reference to the Constitution Bench was made by an order dated 19th September, 2000 by a Bench of three learned Judges. What was said was:

“The question is whether the earlier judgments of this court, principally, in Common Cause vs. Union of India, 1996 (4) SCC 33, Common Cause vs. Union of India, 1996 (6) SCC 775, Raj Deo Sharma vs. State of Bihar, 1998 (7) SCC 507 and Raj Deo Sharma vs. State of Bihar, 1999 (7) SCC 604, would apply to prosecutions under the Prevention of Corruption Act and other economic offences. Having perused the judgments aforementioned, we are of the view that these appeals should be heard by a Constitution Bench. We take this view because we think that it may be necessary to synthesise the various guidelines and directions issued in these judgments. We are also of the view that a Constitution Bench should consider whether time limits of the nature mentioned in some of these judgments can, under the law, be laid down.”

2. We have now been taken through the Constitution Bench judgment in A.R. Antulay and Others vs. R.S. Nayak and Others, 1992 (1) SCC 225 and the four judgments afore-mentioned.

3. The Constitution Bench judgment in A.R. Antulay'