Special Public Prosecutors: Five NIA terms extended by 3 years

The Central Government has extended the appointments of five Special Public Prosecutors representing the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Delhi, Bihar and Chhattisgarh for a further three years, subject to the agency’s satisfaction with their performance. The Ministry of Home Affairs issued notification S.O. 6009(E) on 3 November 2026, and it was published in the Gazette of India on 4 November 2026.

The notification covers representation before NIA Special Courts and High Courts in the jurisdictions assigned to the advocates. Its schedule lists both trial and appellate court work for every prosecutor, meaning the engagements cover proceedings at trial as well as appeals.

The extensions take effect from dates preceding the notification, rather than from its publication. The ministry specifies 4 October 2026 for four advocates and 31 August 2026 for the fifth.

Advocates and jurisdictions covered

In Delhi, the ministry has extended the engagements of Ravi Bhushan Sharma and Rahul Tyagi, both with effect from 4 October 2026. Each is listed for trial and appellate court representation in the Union Territory.

In Bihar, Ram Binay Singh’s extension also runs from 4 October 2026. Manoj Kumar Singh’s extension takes effect from 31 August 2026, the earliest commencement date in the schedule.

For Chhattisgarh, the notification extends Dinesh Panigrahi’s engagement from 4 October 2026, with the same trial and appellate court coverage.

The ministry describes all five decisions as extensions of existing engagements, not fresh appointments. The notification does not identify particular prosecutions, case numbers or individual court benches assigned to these advocates. Their authorisation is expressed through the jurisdictions and court categories in the schedule.

The three-year period is qualified. The ministry’s wording makes the extension subject to the NIA’s satisfaction with the advocates’ performance, ending with the phrase “whichever is earlier”. The notification does not prescribe assessment criteria or explain a procedure for ending an engagement before the full period.

Legal authority and the courts involved

The Home Ministry invokes Section 15(1) of the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008, read with Section 18(8) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, or BNSS. These are the statutory provisions cited as authority for extending the prosecutors’ engagements. The notification was issued by the ministry’s CTCR Division and signed by Joint Secretary Rakesh Rathi.

The distinction between appointing an advocate and designating a court matters here. This notification concerns lawyers conducting cases on the NIA’s behalf; it does not designate additional Special Courts or change the territorial assignments of existing courts.

The NIA Act text published by India Code explains the separate court-designation process. Under Section 11, the Central Government, in consultation with the Chief Justice of the relevant High Court, designates one or more Courts of Session as Special Courts through a Gazette notification. That designation can cover specified areas, cases or groups of cases.

India Code’s text also defines a “Scheduled Offence” as an offence listed in the Act’s Schedule. Section 13 sets the territorial rule for trials of such offences investigated by the NIA: they are to be tried by the Special Court within whose local jurisdiction the offence was committed, subject to the Act’s provisions.

That statutory framework provides the context for the court work described in the extension order. The advocates are engaged to represent the agency within it; the renewal itself does not decide any criminal case.

How the NIA documents counsel’s experience and performance

A separate, undated NIA notice on empanelment describes the agency’s requirement for counsel familiar with criminal law and procedure. Empanelment means placing advocates on a panel for legal work. The notice describes representation in Special Courts and High Courts, including prosecutions, appeals and other proceedings.

The accompanying application form asks advocates seeking renewal to record the number of cases handled during their previous tenure and their outcomes. It also seeks information about important criminal cases, previous representation of the NIA and other government bodies, and existing professional engagements.

In the certificate attached to that form, applicants undertake to submit court diaries recording proceedings and monthly performance reports. These requirements show the information sought in that empanelment process, but the extension notification does not disclose the reports or assessments concerning the five named advocates.

The undated notice cites Section 24(8) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, whereas the November notification cites Section 18(8) of the BNSS. The notice provides background on the agency’s documented selection process, not evidence of a fresh application window.

The renewals are also distinct from the NIA’s separate notice dated 2 April 2026 inviting nominations for Senior Public Prosecutor and Public Prosecutor posts on deputation, a temporary posting from another organisation. That recruitment document describes duties including conducting prosecutions, submitting court diaries and ensuring that engaged government or special counsel are properly briefed.

The November extension notification contains no fee schedule, advocate-wise caseload figures or reasons for the different commencement dates. It records the renewed engagements and their performance condition, but does not publish an assessment of any individual prosecutor’s work.