Centre Tells SC: Dedicated NIA Courts Planned Across States, Uts

New Delhi- The Centre on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that to ensure speedy trial, it has decided to set up a dedicated NIA court in each state and Union territory and more than one court at places where there are over 10 cases under anti-terror law.

A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was also told by the Delhi government that 16 special courts are being created in the national capital to deal with organised crime and terror cases.

The top court asked the Centre and the Delhi government to explore the possibility of enacting a stringent anti-organised crime law like MCOCA for the entire National Capital Region, to avoid any jurisdictional conflict between different law enforcement agencies.

Taking note of gangster Mahesh Khatri, who has multiple cases registered against him in different areas of the NCR and is before the court seeking bail on the ground of delayed trial, CJI Kant said hardened criminals involved in organised crime take undue advantage of the jurisdictional issues in NCR and evade the law.

“Sometimes the offence is generated in say A state, and the offender moves to B state. But which court or agency should take cognisance of the matter for prompt investigation, or which courts shall have the competent jurisdiction itself becomes an issue in the criminal trial,” the bench said.

The top court was hearing bail pleas of Khatri and of Kailash Ramchandani, a Naxal sympathiser from Gadchiroli in Maharashtra, who was booked after 15 policemen of a quick response team were killed in an IED blast in 2019.

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