The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Centre and states to make all additional CBI courts functional as promised by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh four years ago.
It instructed state governments to make these special courts functional within four months.
It warned that if this order was not complied with, chief secretaries of states would face contempt proceedings.
The SC said special CBI courts are needed to try corruption cases quickly.
This, it said, would redeem the people's faith in the country's criminal justice system.
