Delhi to have nine courts to try criminal cases
New Delhi: In a move that could ease burden
of criminal cases, the Delhi Assembly today passed a bill paving way for setting up of nine district courts to try criminal offences.
The Assembly unanimously passed the Code of Criminal
Procedure (Delhi Amendment) Bill, 2011 which seeks to divide
Delhi into nine metropolitan areas which is at present
considered as one single metropolitan area in relation to
criminal cases.
Although the city has nine district courts for civil
cases, it currently has only Tis Hazari district court for
criminal cases as the entire city was defined as one metropolitan area as per Code of Criminal Procedure 1973.
At present, Delhi, being a single metropolitan area, has
one chief metropolitan magistrate's court and four additional
metropolitan magistrates.
Tabling the bill, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said now
it is proposed to divide Delhi into nine metropolitan areas
corresponding to the nine proposed sessions divisions.
She said each metropolitan area will have a chief
metropolitan magistrate assisted by an additional chief
metropolitan magistrate.
Following notification of the legislation, the government
would be able to declare a district or area having a
population of more than 10 lakh as a metropolitan area which
will allow it to set up metropolitan courts for criminal
cases.