Supreme Court wants 3-judge panels to fast-track child rape trials
As per the data by the National Crime Records Bureau, the pendency rate of Pocso Act cases is a whopping 89 per cent.
New Delhi: Expressing anguish over the backlog of more than one lakh cases of child rapes and other offences under the Pocso Act, the Supreme Court on Tuesday asked high courts across the country to set up committees of judges to monitor and regulate trial in these cases and directed state police chiefs to speed up investigations.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said, “The high courts may constitute a committee of three-judges to regulate and monitor trials of cases under the Pocso Act.”
It also asked high courts to issue directions to special court judges not to grant adjournments during the trial of child abuse cases and to ensure that proceedings in such cases are conducted in “child-friendly” atmosphere.
The bench, including Justices A.M. Kanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud, passed the order on a writ petition filed by advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava seeking a direction for expeditious disposal of such cases. The public interest litigation (PIL) was filed to save the life of the child brutally raped by a 24-year-old relative near Netaji Subhash Place in north-west Delhi.
The bench asked the Centre to ensure that the infant victim, who had to undergo two corrective surgeries after the rape, got proper medical care.
Additional solicitor general Pinky Anand informed the court that the child, whose case was highlighted by the petitioner, underwent a second surgery at AIIMS and all efforts would be made to provide medical help to the child.
The top court directed the director generals of police (DGPs) to ensure that probes in Pocso cases are conducted expeditiously and witnesses produced in the courts for recording of testimonies.
The court noted that as per information supplied by various high courts, it was alarming to note that there is a huge pendency of 1,12,628 Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act cases across India. As per the data by the National Crime Records Bureau, the pendency rate of Pocso Act cases is a whopping 89 per cent.
The petitioner further told the apex court that out of the over one lakh cases registered under the Pocso Act till date, only 11,000 cases had been disposed of.
Mr Srivastava said that as many as 30,884, 16,099 and 10,117 cases under the Posco Act were pending at different stages of trials in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh respectively.