Rouse Avenue Court Complex, near ITO, is where Delhi tries most cases brought by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate, cases against sitting and former MPs and MLAs, and, since August 2026, terror, organised crime and large drug cases in fourteen special exclusive courts. For someone who has received an ED summons, a CBI notice or a charge sheet in one of these courts, the rules are different from an ordinary criminal case: stricter bail conditions, long documentary trials, attachment of property and travel restrictions. This guide explains which courts sit here, how each kind of case moves, what the bail law says, where legal aid is, and how to choose an advocate who practises here. Share your matter in the form and an enrolment-checked advocate can call you, at no charge to you.
Rouse Avenue Court Complex is on Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg near ITO, New Delhi 110002, and has worked since 2019 as part of the Central district. It houses the special courts for CBI and anti-corruption cases, Enforcement Directorate cases under the money laundering law, and cases against MPs and MLAs. On 3 August 2026 the Chief Justice of India opened fourteen special exclusive courts here: six for NIA and UAPA cases, four for NDPS, three for MCOCA and one fast-track court for the NEET paper leak. Bail in these cases is often governed by stricter tests, such as section 45 of PMLA or section 43D(5) of UAPA. Check your court and next date on eCourts, and get a lawyer early: decisions in the first days, such as how to answer a summons, matter most.
| Address | Rouse Avenue Court Complex, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, near ITO, New Delhi 110002 |
|---|---|
| Administratively | Part of Delhi's Central district; the Delhi High Court clarified in April 2019 that the complex is not a separate district |
| Working since | 2019, in a building that had been ready but unused for over a year |
| Main work | CBI and anti-corruption cases, Enforcement Directorate (PMLA) cases, cases against sitting and former MPs and MLAs, and from August 2026 special exclusive courts for NIA and UAPA, NDPS, MCOCA and paper leak cases |
| Nearest Metro | ITO on the Violet Line, a short walk; Delhi Gate on the same line is also close |
| Recognised bar body | Central Delhi Court Bar Association, recognised by the Delhi High Court in April 2024 as the court-annexed association for the complex |
| Expansion | A new district courts block with 55 courtrooms and 815 lawyers' chambers, approved by the Delhi Government in August 2024 at about Rs 427 crore |
| Case status | eCourts website or app: choose Delhi and the Central district, then the Rouse Avenue establishment |
| Working Saturday | 31 October 2026, as notified by the High Court on 18 September 2026 |
Until 2019, CBI courts and other special courts were spread across Tis Hazari, Patiala House and Karkardooma. These trials are unlike ordinary criminal cases. A single corruption or money laundering case can involve dozens of accused, thousands of pages of bank records, electronic evidence seized from phones and servers, and witnesses from several states. Bringing them under one roof let the High Court post judges with experience of such trials, gave the agencies one place to produce accused and records, and kept high-profile hearings away from crowded general complexes.
The move was not smooth. In early 2019 lawyers at Tis Hazari struck work against CBI courts shifting out, fearing that a new district was being carved out. The High Court's clarification that Rouse Avenue would remain part of the Central district settled that dispute, and the complex began functioning in April 2019 after directions from the then Chief Justice of the High Court. A later dispute about which bar association represents lawyers here was decided in 2024 in favour of the Central Delhi Court Bar Association.
Most people who reach this complex are not involved in everyday disputes. They are:
If your matter is an ordinary property dispute, a divorce or a cheque case, it does not belong here; see the district courts listed later on this page.
| Court | What it hears | Law that creates it |
|---|---|---|
| Special Judges (PC Act), CBI | Bribery, criminal misconduct and disproportionate assets cases against public servants, and offences tried with them, mostly investigated by the CBI | Section 3, Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 |
| Special Courts (PMLA) | Prosecution complaints filed by the Enforcement Directorate for money laundering, along with the scheduled offence where joined | Section 43, Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 |
| Special MP and MLA courts | Criminal cases against sitting and former legislators, both sessions and magistrate level | Supreme Court directions in Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay v. Union of India, and Delhi High Court orders |
| Special Exclusive Courts (NIA and UAPA) | Terror and unlawful activities cases investigated by the NIA or Delhi Police | Sections 11 and 22, National Investigation Agency Act, 2008 |
| Special Exclusive Courts (NDPS) | Drug trafficking cases, especially those involving commercial quantities | Section 36, NDPS Act, 1985 |
| Special Exclusive Courts (MCOCA) | Organised crime syndicate cases under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act as extended to Delhi | MCOCA, 1999, extended to Delhi in 2002 |
| Fast-track court for paper leak | The NEET paper leak case and connected offences under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 | Delhi High Court designation, August 2026 |
| Magistrates attached to special courts | Remand, warrants, search orders and smaller matters connected to the special cases | BNSS and the special laws |
The High Court's transfer list of August 2026 also posted judicial officers to other courts in the complex, including a labour court, so a notice from Rouse Avenue is not always a criminal matter. Read the heading of the summons or order carefully: it names the court and the law.
On Monday, 3 August 2026, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant inaugurated fourteen special exclusive courts at Rouse Avenue, set up by the Delhi High Court following the Supreme Court's directions in the suo motu matter on creating exclusive courts for trials under special statutes. The Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court and the judges of the portfolio committee for the complex were present.
| Type | Number | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| NIA Act and UAPA | 6 | Three were designated by the Delhi Government under section 22 of the NIA Act by a notification in July 2026, numbered Special Exclusive Courts 4 to 6. Once they started, the NIA special court that had worked at Patiala House since 12 September 2013 ceased to have that jurisdiction. |
| NDPS Act | 4 | One more special NDPS court functions from another complex. |
| MCOCA | 3 | Earlier, MCOCA cases were heard in district courts across Delhi. |
| Paper leak fast-track court | 1 | For the NEET paper leak and connected offences under the 2024 Act. |
The judges took charge on 4 August 2026 after a High Court transfer order of 1 August 2026 that moved 151 judicial officers across Delhi. In his speech, the Chief Justice explained the thinking: trials under these laws involve investigations across states, large volumes of documentary and electronic evidence, forensic material and multiple accused, and they lose momentum when judges must juggle them with a general docket. A court that hears only such cases can build expertise, hold continuous hearings and manage evidence better.
Agencies use their own case numbers: the CBI registers a "RC" (regular case) number, and the ED records an "ECIR" (Enforcement Case Information Report). These appear in court titles and help your advocate trace related matters, such as the CBI case that is the base for an ED case.
The Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) makes it an offence to be involved in any process or activity connected with the proceeds of crime, including concealing, possessing, acquiring, using or projecting them as clean. "Proceeds of crime" means property obtained from a "scheduled offence", a list that includes corruption, cheating, forgery, drug, arms and many other offences. So an ED case almost always rests on a base case, often an FIR by the CBI or police.
Once the Special Court takes cognizance of the ED's complaint, the case proceeds as a complaint case. In Tarsem Lal v. Directorate of Enforcement (2024), the Supreme Court held that an accused who was not arrested during investigation and appears on the court's summons is not in custody and need not apply for bail under the strict section 45 test; the court may take a bond. If the ED wants custody after cognizance, it must apply to the Special Court, which allows it only if custodial interrogation is shown to be needed.
Since 1 July 2024, the BNSS also requires the court to give the accused a hearing before taking cognizance on a complaint, under the proviso to section 223. Your advocate can use that hearing to point out legal defects in the complaint.
The money laundering trial and the base case are separate, but linked. If the accused is finally discharged or acquitted in the scheduled offence, or the base case is quashed, the Supreme Court in Vijay Madanlal Choudhary held that there can be no money laundering offence against the person on the basis of that property. Where both are tried in Delhi, the Special Court often hears them together or in sequence. Defence lawyers therefore watch both closely.
The Central Bureau of Investigation works under the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946. In Delhi it needs no state consent to investigate. Most CBI cases tried at Rouse Avenue are under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended in 2018, often with cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy charges.
| Section | Offence | Punishment |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Public servant obtaining or attempting to obtain an undue advantage to perform a public duty improperly | 3 to 7 years and fine |
| 8 | Giving or promising an undue advantage to a public servant (bribe-giving), added in 2018; a person compelled to pay who reports within seven days is protected | Up to 7 years, fine or both |
| 9 | A commercial organisation whose associated person bribes a public servant to obtain or keep business | Fine |
| 13(1)(a) | Dishonest misappropriation of property entrusted to a public servant | 4 to 10 years and fine |
| 13(1)(b) | Intentional illicit enrichment during office (assets disproportionate to known sources of income) | 4 to 10 years and fine |
Many CBI cases begin with a complaint that a public servant has demanded a bribe. The CBI verifies the demand, often by a recorded conversation, then lays a trap with marked currency in the presence of independent witnesses. If the officer accepts the money, the chemical test on hands and the recovery are recorded. At trial, the prosecution must prove both the demand and the acceptance; the Supreme Court's Constitution Bench held in Neeraj Dutta v. State (2022) that these can be proved by circumstantial evidence too where the complainant turns hostile or dies.
These turn on accounting. The CBI calculates the officer's assets at the start and end of a "check period", income from known sources, and expenditure. If assets exceed income, the officer must satisfactorily account for the difference. Defence work involves reconstructing income from agriculture, family gifts, loans, rent or investments, and challenging the valuation of property. A chartered accountant often works with the advocate.
Large loan frauds are investigated by the CBI on complaints from public sector banks, usually charging cheating, forgery, conspiracy and sometimes corruption by bank officers. Borrowers' directors, guarantors, valuers and auditors may be named. Parallel proceedings often run before the Debts Recovery Tribunal, the NCLT and the ED, so a coordinated legal strategy matters.
Following the Supreme Court's directions in the public interest litigation filed by Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, criminal cases against legislators are tried by designated special courts. In Delhi these sit at Rouse Avenue, where three sessions courts and three magistrate courts were designated in 2019. The Delhi High Court has confirmed that the designation covers former as well as sitting legislators.
In November 2023 the Supreme Court gave fresh directions: the special courts should take up first the cases punishable with death or life imprisonment, then those punishable with five years or more, and then the rest; they should not adjourn these cases except for rare and compelling reasons; and each High Court should monitor progress through a bench of its own. The Delhi High Court followed with directions for regular reports. Cases here have included corruption, money laundering, defamation, election offences and offences arising from protests.
For complainants and witnesses, this means hearings are often fixed at short intervals. For an accused legislator, it means cases move faster than they would in a general court, and repeated requests for adjournment are unlikely to succeed.
The National Investigation Agency investigates offences listed in the schedule to the NIA Act, such as terrorism under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA), and certain offences relating to explosives, atomic energy, counterfeit currency, human trafficking and cyber terrorism. Delhi Police's Special Cell also registers UAPA cases. Since August 2026, these trials in Delhi are heard by the six special exclusive courts at Rouse Avenue.
Appeals from the special court go to a division bench of the Delhi High Court under section 21 of the NIA Act, to be filed within 30 days, extendable in limited cases.
Four special exclusive NDPS courts at Rouse Avenue hear drug trafficking cases, especially those investigated by the Narcotics Control Bureau and Delhi Police's specialised units. The punishment under the NDPS Act depends mainly on quantity:
| Quantity | Usual punishment | Bail |
|---|---|---|
| Small | Up to 1 year, fine up to Rs 10,000, or both | Generally available |
| More than small but less than commercial | Up to 10 years and fine up to Rs 1 lakh | Ordinary bail principles, with seriousness considered |
| Commercial | 10 to 20 years and fine of Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh | Section 37 twin conditions apply |
Under section 37, for offences involving commercial quantity, bail can be granted only if the public prosecutor has been heard and the court sees reasonable grounds to think the accused is innocent of the charge and will not offend while released. The 180-day period for filing the charge sheet in such cases can be extended to one year under section 36A(4).
Defence in NDPS trials often turns on procedure: whether a personal search followed section 50 (the right to be searched before a gazetted officer or magistrate), whether samples were drawn and certified under section 52A before a magistrate, whether the seal and chain of custody were maintained, and whether independent witnesses were joined. Courts have acquitted in cases where these safeguards were not followed.
The Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, 1999 has applied to Delhi since 2002. It targets organised crime syndicates: a continuing unlawful activity by a gang, with more than one charge sheet filed in the preceding ten years. Approval of a senior police officer is needed before registering the case, and sanction before the court takes cognizance. Confessions to a police officer of the rank of Superintendent and above can be admissible under section 18, unlike under ordinary law, and bail is restricted by section 21(4). Delhi Police has used the Act against extortion and gangster networks. Three special exclusive courts now hear these cases at Rouse Avenue.
The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 punishes leaking question papers, impersonation, tampering with answer sheets and similar acts in public examinations. Offences are cognizable, non-bailable and non-compoundable. Ordinary offences carry 3 to 5 years and a fine up to Rs 10 lakh; organised crimes by a group carry 5 to 10 years and a fine of at least Rs 1 crore. A fast-track court at Rouse Avenue hears the NEET paper leak case and connected offences.
Bail is where most of the early legal work in Rouse Avenue cases happens. The general rule that bail is the rule and jail the exception applies, but several special laws add conditions that must be satisfied first.
| Law | Extra condition for bail | Exceptions or relief |
|---|---|---|
| PMLA, section 45 | Public prosecutor must be heard; the judge must see reasonable grounds for thinking the accused did not commit the offence and will not offend while out | Women, persons under 16, and the sick or infirm may be released without the twin conditions; long custody can justify bail |
| UAPA, section 43D(5) | No bail if the accusation appears prima facie true on the case diary or charge sheet | Constitutional courts can grant bail for prolonged custody and delay in trial |
| NDPS, section 37 | Twin conditions for commercial quantity | Default bail if the charge sheet is not filed within the extended period |
| MCOCA, section 21(4) | Similar twin conditions | Default bail and long custody |
| Prevention of Corruption Act | No special bar; ordinary BNSS principles | Courts consider the role, evidence already collected and the chance of influencing witnesses |
If the investigating agency does not file a charge sheet within the time allowed (60 or 90 days under section 187 of the BNSS, or the longer periods under UAPA and NDPS where extended), the accused gets an indefeasible right to bail on applying for it before the charge sheet is filed. A charge sheet filed in parts merely to defeat this right has been criticised by courts. Move the application without delay: once the charge sheet lands first, the right is gone.
In Manish Sisodia v. Directorate of Enforcement (2024), the Supreme Court granted bail after about 17 months in custody, ruling that Article 21's promise of a quick trial does not stop at the door of PMLA, and that a long incarceration with no prospect of an early trial can justify bail despite section 45. Section 479 of the BNSS also requires an undertrial who has served half of the maximum sentence for the offence (one-third for a first-time offender) to be released on bond, except in offences punishable with death or life imprisonment.
Courts can grant short interim bail for medical treatment, a family wedding, a death in the family or examinations, usually with conditions about not contacting witnesses and returning to custody on time.
Read more in the bail application guide and bail lawyers in Delhi.
Many people first learn of an ED or CBI case when a bank account is frozen or a property is attached. The process differs by law.
The CBI and police can seize property and freeze accounts under section 106 of the BNSS, and must report the seizure to the court. The owner can apply to the court for release on security or for release of an account not connected with the offence, for example a salary account. Under section 107 of the BNSS, police can also ask the court to attach and forfeit proceeds of crime after notice.
Family members, buyers and lenders whose property has been attached because of someone else's case should not wait. Filing objections before the Adjudicating Authority, or an application before the Special Court, with documents showing independent ownership or a bona fide purchase, is the way to protect such property.
Approvers: in conspiracy cases, a co-accused may be granted a pardon on condition of full disclosure under section 343 of the BNSS and becomes a prosecution witness. The defence then tests whether the approver's evidence is corroborated in material particulars.
Special court cases reward preparation more than courtroom rhetoric. When you meet an advocate, look for these:
Check enrolment with the Bar Council of Delhi. More in how to choose an advocate.
On Mara Vakil, a short description of your matter in the form above reaches Delhi advocates whose enrolment has been checked. Your number stays hidden until an advocate accepts and rings you. Mara Vakil takes nothing from you for this; the advocate's fee is agreed between the two of you. You can also browse criminal lawyers in Delhi.
Because Rouse Avenue is part of the Central district, legal aid is provided by the Central District Legal Services Authority, which also has a front office at Tis Hazari, and by the Delhi State Legal Services Authority. Every court that deals with remand has a legal aid advocate for people produced without a lawyer.
See free legal aid eligibility. Special court cases are rarely suitable for Lok Adalat settlement, since offences under these laws are not compoundable, but connected civil recovery cases sometimes are; Delhi's National Lok Adalat is on 25 October 2026 (details).
These are composite illustrations, not real cases. Every case turns on its own facts.
A company defaults on loans from a public sector bank, which reports the account as fraud. The CBI registers a case against the company, its directors and some bank officers, and the ED follows with an ECIR. One independent director, who joined after the loans were sanctioned, receives a summons. With an advocate, she prepares her appointment letter, board minutes and emails showing she had no role in the loan or the diversion of funds, and appears. She is not named in the ED complaint. In the CBI case, her advocate later seeks discharge on the ground that no act of hers is alleged.
A contractor complains that a clerk in a government office demanded money to release a bill. The CBI records the demand, and the clerk is arrested accepting marked notes. He gets bail within weeks, since the evidence is documentary and recovered. At trial, the defence argues the money was repayment of a loan, and the court examines the recorded conversation and the complainant's testimony to decide whether demand and acceptance are proved.
The ED attaches a flat bought by a businessman's wife, claiming it was paid for with proceeds of crime. She objects before the Adjudicating Authority, producing her salary records and a home loan statement showing she paid the instalments herself. The attachment of her share is not confirmed, and she continues to live there while the case against her husband proceeds.
A student is arrested with a quantity of a synthetic drug that the police say is commercial. His lawyer finds that the sample was not drawn before a magistrate as section 52A requires, and the seizure witnesses are all police officers. Bail is initially refused because of section 37, but after the charge sheet and the defects are pointed out, and given his age and clean record, the court grants bail. The procedural defects become central at trial.
| Complex | Covers | Typical work |
|---|---|---|
| Rouse Avenue | Special courts (part of Central district) | CBI, ED, MP and MLA, NIA and UAPA, NDPS, MCOCA, paper leak |
| Tis Hazari | Central and West districts | General civil, criminal and family work |
| Patiala House | New Delhi district | Connaught Place business, foreign nationals, central Delhi crime |
| Saket | South and South East | Property, family and cheque cases |
| Karkardooma | East, North East, Shahdara | Trans-Yamuna cases |
| Rohini | North and North West | Outer north Delhi |
| Dwarka | South West | Labour courts, airport cases |
| Situation | Papers |
|---|---|
| ED summons | The summons, ECIR number if known, company records, bank statements, income tax returns, property papers, earlier statements |
| CBI notice or arrest | Notice under section 35 BNSS or arrest memo, FIR or RC copy, service records for public servants, sanction orders if any |
| Attachment | Provisional attachment order, notice from the Adjudicating Authority, title deeds, loan and payment records |
| NDPS arrest | Arrest memo, seizure memo, notice under section 50 if given, medical records |
| Bail surety | ID and address proof of surety, property papers or fixed deposit, relationship proof |
| Travel permission | Bail order, passport, itinerary, invitation or medical letters, return ticket |
| Date | Development |
|---|---|
| 1 July 2024 | the three new criminal codes take effect in place of the IPC, CrPC and Evidence Act; pre-cognizance hearing for complaint cases under section 223 BNSS |
| April 2024 | Delhi High Court recognises the Central Delhi Court Bar Association for the complex |
| May 2024 | Tarsem Lal v. ED: no arrest by ED after cognizance without court permission |
| August 2024 | Manish Sisodia v. ED: prolonged custody can justify bail despite section 45; Delhi Government approves a 55-courtroom block at Rouse Avenue |
| July 2026 | Delhi Government designates Special Exclusive Courts 4 to 6 at Rouse Avenue for NIA cases |
| 1 to 4 August 2026 | High Court posts 13 special exclusive judges; CJI Surya Kant inaugurates 14 courts on 3 August; judges take charge on 4 August |
| 31 October 2026 | A working Saturday for Delhi courts |
On Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg near ITO, New Delhi 110002. ITO Metro station on the Violet Line is a few minutes' walk away.
It is part of Delhi's Central district. The Delhi High Court clarified in April 2019 that the complex is not a separate district.
In 2019. Special courts, including CBI courts, began functioning there in April 2019 after directions from the then Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court.
Mainly CBI and anti-corruption cases, Enforcement Directorate cases under PMLA, criminal cases against MPs and MLAs, and since August 2026 special exclusive courts for NIA and UAPA, NDPS, MCOCA and paper leak cases.
Generally no. Ordinary civil, family and property cases go to the district courts for the area, such as Tis Hazari, Saket or Patiala House.
Fourteen: six for NIA and UAPA, four for NDPS, three for MCOCA and one fast-track court for the NEET paper leak case. They were inaugurated on 3 August 2026.
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, on 3 August 2026, in the presence of the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court and other judges.
Yes. The Delhi Government designated Special Exclusive Courts 4 to 6 at Rouse Avenue for NIA cases in July 2026, and once they started the Patiala House court stopped acting as the NIA special court. Check eCourts for where your case now stands.
The CBI investigates crimes such as corruption and bank fraud. The ED investigates money laundering of the proceeds of such crimes under PMLA. One incident can lead to both.
The Enforcement Case Information Report recorded by the ED when it starts a money laundering case. It is an internal document and not an FIR.
Yes. A person summoned under section 50 of PMLA must attend and state the truth. If you cannot attend on the date, write in advance with reasons and seek another date, after legal advice.
A lawyer usually cannot sit in during questioning, but courts have sometimes allowed a lawyer to remain within sight though not within hearing. Your advocate can seek such a direction if needed.
Not on its own. The Supreme Court held in Tarsem Lal v. ED (2024) that after cognizance the ED must seek the Special Court's permission for custody, which is allowed only if custodial interrogation is shown to be necessary.
If you were not arrested during investigation and appear on summons, you are not treated as in custody and need not satisfy section 45. The court may ask for a bond.
Under section 45, bail requires that the prosecutor be heard and the court see reasonable grounds suggesting innocence and no risk of fresh offending.
The proviso to section 45 allows release of a woman, a person under 16, or a sick or infirm person without satisfying the twin conditions, at the court's discretion.
Yes. In Manish Sisodia v. ED (2024) the Supreme Court granted bail after about 17 months, holding that the right to a speedy trial applies even under PMLA.
Yes. In Pankaj Bansal v. Union of India (2023) the Supreme Court held that the grounds of arrest must be supplied in writing.
Statements under section 50 can be used as evidence, but in Prem Prakash v. Union of India (2024) the Supreme Court held that a statement recorded from a person already in custody in the same case is generally not admissible against that person.
If the accused is finally discharged or acquitted in the scheduled offence, or the base case is quashed, there can be no money laundering offence against that person on that property, as held in Vijay Madanlal Choudhary (2022).
By a provisional attachment order under section 5 for up to 180 days, which the Adjudicating Authority must confirm after hearing the owner.
Yes. File a reply before the Adjudicating Authority, and if the attachment is confirmed, appeal to the Appellate Tribunal within 45 days, and then to the High Court.
Yes, by showing independent ownership and source of funds, such as salary records and loan statements, before the Adjudicating Authority or the Special Court.
It requires prior approval of the competent authority before police inquire into an offence relating to a public servant's official recommendation or decision. It does not apply to on-the-spot arrests for accepting a bribe.
Yes, under section 19 of the PC Act, from the authority competent to remove the officer. It is not needed under that section once the officer has retired.
Yes. Since 2018, section 8 of the PC Act punishes giving or promising an undue advantage to a public servant, with up to seven years, fine or both. A person compelled to pay who reports it within seven days is protected.
Under section 7 of the PC Act, three to seven years and fine.
A case under section 13(1)(b) of the PC Act alleging that a public servant intentionally enriched himself or herself with assets beyond known sources of income during a check period. Punishment is four to ten years and fine.
The prosecution must prove demand and acceptance. The Supreme Court held in Neeraj Dutta (2022) that these can be proved by circumstantial evidence if the complainant turns hostile or is unavailable.
Yes. Section 9 of the PC Act makes a commercial organisation liable to fine if a person associated with it bribes a public servant to obtain or keep business, unless it had adequate procedures to prevent this.
No. Delhi is a Union Territory and the CBI works under the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, so state consent is not required.
A Regular Case, the CBI's equivalent of an FIR. A Preliminary Enquiry (PE) may come first.
Yes. The Delhi High Court has confirmed that the designated MP and MLA courts deal with cases against former as well as sitting legislators.
Rarely. The Supreme Court in November 2023 directed that these cases should not be adjourned except for rare and compelling reasons, and that serious cases be taken up first.
It bars bail for offences under Chapters IV and VI of UAPA if the court finds reasonable grounds to believe the accusation is prima facie true on the case diary or charge sheet.
Yes. In Union of India v. K. A. Najeeb (2021) the Supreme Court held that long incarceration with no early end to trial can justify bail despite the statutory bar.
The usual 90 days can be extended up to 180 days under section 43D(2) on the public prosecutor's report.
To a division bench of the Delhi High Court under section 21 of the NIA Act, generally within 30 days.
Under section 37, the court must hear the prosecutor and be satisfied, on reasonable grounds, of probable innocence and no likelihood of offending on release.
It gives a person about to be searched the right to be taken before a gazetted officer or magistrate for a personal search. Non-compliance can make the recovery from the person's body unreliable.
It requires seized drugs to be inventoried and samples drawn in the presence of a magistrate. Defects in this process are often raised at bail and trial.
The Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, 1999, extended to Delhi in 2002, used against organised crime syndicates. Bail is restricted and certain confessions to senior police officers can be admissible.
Three to five years and a fine up to Rs 10 lakh for ordinary offences; five to ten years and a fine of at least Rs 1 crore for organised paper leak crimes.
Bail as of right when the charge sheet is not filed within the time allowed, such as 60 or 90 days under section 187 of the BNSS, or the extended periods under UAPA and NDPS. Apply before the charge sheet is filed.
It requires release of an undertrial who has served half of the maximum sentence, or one-third for a first-time offender, except for offences punishable with death or life imprisonment.
Only with the court's permission if your bail conditions restrict travel. Apply with your itinerary, purpose and return ticket.
An alert that can stop a person at the airport or border. Before a case is filed in court, it is usually challenged in the Delhi High Court.
You can apply to the court for release, especially of accounts not connected to the alleged offence, such as a salary account, sometimes on furnishing security.
A co-accused granted a pardon on condition of full and true disclosure under section 343 of the BNSS, who then testifies for the prosecution.
You can apply to the court for un-relied documents seized during investigation. Courts have allowed this where the material may help the defence.
On the eCourts website or app, choose Delhi, the Central district and the Rouse Avenue establishment, then search by CNR, case number, party, advocate or FIR or RC number.
ITO on the Violet Line. Delhi Gate on the same line is also close.
The Delhi High Court in April 2024 recognised the Central Delhi Court Bar Association as the court-annexed association for the complex.
Yes. In August 2024 the Delhi Government approved a new block with 55 courtrooms and 815 lawyers' chambers, at about Rs 427 crore.
Yes, through the Central District Legal Services Authority and remand advocates in courts. People in custody qualify regardless of income.
Generally no, since offences under the PC Act, PMLA and similar laws are not compoundable. Connected civil recovery matters may sometimes be settled.
Accused in custody are often produced by video link from jail. Others may be allowed to appear by video in suitable cases on application.
Often several years in large cases, because of the number of documents and witnesses. Trap cases with fewer witnesses can be faster.
The Delhi High Court can quash proceedings where no offence is made out or the process is abused. It is a limited remedy and depends on the facts.
The ED's equivalent of a charge sheet, filed before the Special Court under PMLA.
Not necessarily, but the lawyer or team should handle both, since the cases are linked and positions taken in one affect the other.
Delhi district courts work on notified Saturdays. Saturday 31 October 2026 is a working day. Check the court calendar for others.
Yes. Courts can protect witness identity, especially in UAPA cases under section 44, and Delhi has a witness protection scheme.
Look for experience with the specific law and the Delhi High Court, check Bar Council of Delhi enrolment and agree fees in writing. On Mara Vakil you can post your matter and enrolment-checked advocates can respond.
No. Posting your matter and speaking to advocates through the platform is free; whatever you pay for legal work goes to the advocate, on terms the two of you settle.
No. It is an online platform that helps people reach enrolled advocates; it offers no legal opinions of its own and has no tie with the Rouse Avenue courts or any agency.
The summons, an ID, the documents asked for with copies, and a list of what you hand over. Get a receipt for documents submitted.
Yes, if the ED alleges involvement in laundering proceeds. Directors who had no role can show this through board records, appointment dates and correspondence.
Possession can follow confirmation of attachment, but courts have often held that residential property should not be taken over before trial without a real need. Seek legal advice immediately.
The August 2026 posting list placed a judicial officer in a labour court at the complex. Check the heading of your notice for the exact court.
This page gives general information based on the sources listed, as checked on 17 October 2026. Court allocations, postings and the law on bail under special statutes change often; confirm with the court or an advocate before acting. Mara Vakil is a technology platform, not a law firm, does not give legal advice, and is not connected with the Rouse Avenue Courts or any investigating agency. Read our disclaimer.
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