Three new CBI courts to be set up in Maharashtra

The Maharashtra cabinet on Wednesday approved setting up of three special Central Bureau of Investigation courts in the state to clear long pending cases. Two courts would be set up at Nagpur and one in Mumbai, an official said, after the cabinet meeting, which was chaired by Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan.

The cabinet also approved creation of 15 posts for these courts. The Supreme Court had in January specifically directed establishing 22 CBI special courts in different states for speedy trial of pending cases.

The apex court had also directed the state chief secretary and the finance department to expedite the matter of setting up these three courts.

Most CBI cases relate to anti-corruption action and amassing of disproportionate assets. There are six special CBI courts in the state presently -- three in Mumbai, and one each in Nagpur, Pune and Amravati.

Maharashtra accounts for 1,062 of the total 9,910 corruption cases investigated by the CBI and pending trial at different stages in courts across the country, as on January 31, 2011.