The Supreme Court has directed state governments to immediately establish dedicated special courts to fast-track cases registered under the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act. The court said notifications must be issued without delay so that trials under the NIA and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) are completed within stipulated timelines.
Hearing a petition seeking time-bound disposal of NIA and UAPA cases, a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Jaymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, noted that delays persist in setting up such courts in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Telangana. The bench was informed that 22 exclusive NIA special courts have been set up across the country so far.
The court fixed clear deadlines for multiple states. Tamil Nadu and Telangana were asked to bring one additional exclusive special court each into operation within two weeks. Kerala was directed to establish two new special courts and issue the required notification within four weeks.
In Karnataka, the state’s Advocate General assured the court that three proposed courts—at Bengaluru, Chikkamagaluru and Udupi—would be notified within two weeks. The bench also asked West Bengal to add three more courts and Assam to add two more courts at the earliest.
Emphasising speedy trials, the bench said the primary purpose of these courts is to conclude cases within set timelines and that no special court should be burdened with more than 10 to 12 cases. It also flagged a worrying rise in offences under narcotics laws and directed that identified pending special courts under the NDPS law across India be fully set up within the next six months, before adjourning the matter.
