GUWAHATI: The Supreme Court has directed Assam authorities to expedite the setting up of two proposed exclusive courts for cases investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), ordering they be made operational within four weeks.
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The direction came from a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, while hearing a suo motu case on creating special courts for speedy trials under laws including the NIA Act, UAPA, MCOCA and NDPS Act.
Advocate-on-Record Shivodeep Roy, appearing for Assam, informed the court that one exclusive NIA court has already been notified and is functional, while proposals for two more are under consideration. The CJI noted Assam currently has a pendency of 26 NIA-related cases.
The order was part of a wider national push. The bench was told 449 special NDPS courts are required nationwide, with 176 already functional, and directed the rest be completed within six weeks.
Nationally, exclusive NIA courts now total 22, following the addition of eight new ones. Similar deadlines were issued to Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana, West Bengal and Jammu & Kashmir.