New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notices to 17 states, including Delhi, Gujarat, and Maharashtra, directing them to ensure the establishment of special National Investigation Agency (NIA) courts in regions where 10 or more anti-terror cases are pending trial.

A bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant sought responses after the Union Home Ministry submitted a detailed status report stating that it has proposed setting up exclusive courts in states with a significant number of NIA-investigated cases awaiting trial. The bench also included Justices Joymalya Bagchi and N. V. Anjaria.

Appearing for the Centre, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati informed the court that the Ministry of Home Affairs has finalised norms for providing financial assistance to these courts. Under the proposal, the Centre will grant a one-time ₹1 crore for non-recurring expenses and ₹1 crore annually for recurring costs for each exclusive special court. The funds will be used for infrastructure upgrades, IT equipment, vehicles, and staff salaries.

Taking note of the submission, the bench directed the chief secretaries of the 17 states to file their responses within three weeks so that the process of establishing the special courts can be formalised to ensure speedy trials. The court observed that prolonged delays in trials may result in injustice if an accused is acquitted after an extended period.

Data presented before the court showed that Delhi has the highest number of pending cases at 59, followed by Jammu and Kashmir (38), while Assam, Gujarat, and Kerala have 33 cases each.

The Supreme Court said it will take up issues related to the establishment of additional special courts after three weeks. DeshGujarat