NIA court to be moved to ex-NUALS campus

KOCHI: Anticipating major security threats in the wake of increasing terror attacks, the NIA special Court in Kochi will soon be shifted into a new premises. The court, now located in Ravipuram, will be moved to the former NUALS campus in Kaloor this month.The decision was based on a report submitted by City Police Commissioner M R Ajith Kumar before the Kerala High Court. “The court premises lack sufficient security features. It has been operating in a rented building without a proper compound wall,” a court official said.The three-storied building also housed two government offices, that included the district insurance office and private firms. The insurance office is next to the NIA court room and, more often than not, people coming to the insurance office accidentally land in the court room. This has also created problems for the cops in charge of security. The examination of witnesses in the ‘Kashmir recruitment case’ would be held at the new court room, said the official. “The confidential files, statements, material evidences and case diaries of major terror-related cases are kept in the court room. There is only one locked cupboard there, and most of the windows have no panes,” the police said. The cases under consideration of the NIA court include the Kalamassery bus burning case, Panayikkulam and Vagamon SIMI camp cases, the ‘palm chopping case’ and three fake currency cases. The NIA court has started trial proceedings in the ‘Kashmir recruitment case’ on Thursday. “We had conducted a security audit of the NIA court and jail in which the accused in the Kashmir recruitment case are being kept. We had raised some apprehensions regarding the security in place. We filed a report before the Chief Justice,” City Police Commissioner M R Ajith Kumar said.Sources said that the CBI Special Court will also be shifted into the former NUALS campus since the NIA special judge has the additional charge of the CBI Court too. The Wakf Board, Additional Sessions Court and CBI I court which are functioning in Ravipuram will also be moved to a new location in the near future, sources said.