One more special MCOCA court created

Mumbai, Jan 5 (UNI) The state Law and Judiciary department has created one more special court to hear cases under Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) and Prevention of Terrorist Activities (POTA) Act with immediate effect to expedite the disposal of pending cases.

Public Prosecutor Rohini Salian informed that a notification was issued today in this regard and additional sessions judge M R Puranik appointed to conduct such cases.

Special anti corruption bureau judge P N Deshmukh has been shifted to the Bombay High Court as registrar while four other sessions court judges -- M L Tahilyani, V P Rothe, D B Pujari and N V Deshmukh -- have been given special charges to hear ACB cases.

Presently, two MCOCA courts are functioning in Mumbai -- one at Kala Ghoda and the other at Sewri.

Around 150 undertrials, booked under MCOCA and lodged in the Arthur Road Jail here, had been agitating over the past few days, demanding more courts for the speedy disposal of cases. A team of public prosecutors from the Bombay High Court had yesterday visited the jail to hear the grievances of the undertrials.

UNI