NEW DELHI: In a significant move aimed at strengthening the judicial framework for handling terrorism and insurgency-related and other organised criminal cases, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has designated a Special National Investigation Agency (NIA) Court in Chhattisgarh’s Jagdalpur.
The court will exclusively hear and adjudicate cases involving scheduled offences investigated by the country’s premier anti-terror agency.
The Centre notified the decision under Section 11 of the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008, officials said, adding that the latest order supersedes an earlier notification issued in November 2019, while preserving all actions already taken under the previous directives.
“The newly designated Special Court will function under the Court of the Additional Sessions Judge in Jagdalpur. According to the notification, the court has been established following consultations with the Chief Justice of the Chhattisgarh High Court and the Chhattisgarh government, in accordance with statutory provisions,” a senior MHA official said.
The officials said the dedicated court is expected to ensure quicker disposal of NIA-investigated cases by providing a specialised judicial mechanism focused exclusively on offences listed under the NIA Act. The move is also aimed at improving coordination between investigative agencies and the judiciary, reducing procedural delays and facilitating more efficient prosecution of high-priority cases.
The court’s jurisdiction will cover several districts in the Bastar region, including Bastar (Jagdalpur), Dakshin Bastar (Dantewada), Kondagaon and Uttar Bastar (Kanker). These districts have long been affected by security challenges linked to Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), making the establishment of a dedicated NIA court particularly significant for the region.
The MHA officials believe the centralisation of NIA trials in a single designated court will help streamline legal proceedings, strengthen case management and contribute to improved conviction rates in sensitive investigations involving terrorism, organised crime and other offences under the agency’s mandate.
The notification underscores the Centre’s continued focus on bolstering institutional and legal mechanisms to combat serious threats to national security. It also reflects broader efforts to enhance judicial and administrative infrastructure in regions that have historically required heightened security attention.
The development comes nearly two months after the Central government announced on March 31, 2026, that the country, including Chhattisgarh, had been declared free of Naxal influence.