A few states yet to take effective steps to set up special NIA courts: SC

The Supreme Court on Monday lamented that a few states have not taken effective steps to set up exclusive special NIA courts to try serious offences.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana was irked over the slow pace of establishing exclusive courts for National Investigation Agency (NIA) cases, saying that the "ground reality" of judicial infrastructure remains dismal despite official claims of progress.

"We find that in some of the states, no effective steps have been taken for the establishment of exclusive NIA courts. In Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, the setting up of only one court is grossly inadequate to tackle the pendency of such cases," the CJI said.

The suo motu case, titled 'In Re: creation of special exclusive courts', was initiated after the top court noticed that NIA trials, often involving charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), were languishing for years, affecting the rights of both the accused and the victims. -- PTI