Despite fast-track courts meant to expedite justice, Delhi averages nearly five years to decide POCSO cases, breaching timelines. Official data shows thousands pending in 11 POCSO courts, highlighting systemic delays undermining protection for women and children across the capital.
NEW DELHI: The establishment of fast-track courts in India aimed to accelerate the trial and resolution of cases involving crimes against women and girls. However, an analysis of official data reveals that the national capital is performing poorly, taking an average of nearly five years (1,717 days) to resolve cases under the POCSO Act, far exceeding the one-year timeline mandated.
Data from the Ministry of Law and Justice indicates that as of January 30, Delhi, which has 11 operational POCSO courts, had 2,421 pending POCSO cases, while the total count of cases in Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) was 3,361. Since 2019, 6,516 cases have been transferred to FTSCs in the city.
Currently, India has 774 functioning fast-track special courts, including 398 dedicated exclusively to POCSO cases. These FTSCs are designed for the swift trial of sexual offenses. Since their inception, these courts have collectively disposed of 366,000 cases, leaving 245,000 cases pending nationwide, 142,000 of which are POCSO cases.
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According to ministry data released last year, among the 30 states with exclusive POCSO courts, Puducherry (180 days) and Andhra Pradesh (257 days) have the fastest average case clearance times. Other states excelling include Chhattisgarh (300 days), Goa (365 days), and Madhya Pradesh (395 days).
In stark contrast, Delhi’s average trial duration for POCSO cases stands at 1,717 days. Only five states or Union Territories are taking over 1,000 days to complete trials, including Manipur (1,305 days), Nagaland (1,185 days), Mizoram (1,155 days), and Uttar Pradesh (1,116 days).
Data shows that Manipur and Nagaland lack exclusive POCSO courts, having only fast-track courts—two in Manipur, one in Nagaland, and three in Mizoram. Delhi has 16 fast-track courts, while Uttar Pradesh has 218.
As per the National Judicial Data Grid, as of December 2025, there were 35,434 POCSO cases pending for over two years up from just 189 in 2015. The POCSO Act, enacted in 2012, stipulates that the evidence of a child should be recorded within 30 days of the Special Court recognizing the offense, with the trial ideally concluding within one year.
The analysis indicates that between July 1, 2025, and January 30, fast-track courts disposed of approximately 32,000 cases in about seven months, averaging nearly 150 cases daily nationwide.
A third-party evaluation by the Indian Institute of Public Administration found that only 34.07% of fast-track courts met the disposal benchmark of 41–42 cases per quarter and 165 annually, while nearly two-thirds fell short.
The evaluation pointed out issues in Delhi’s courts, particularly in Tis Hazari, where around 50% of cases were deemed false, often involving consensual relationships. It noted that delays in getting victims to court are frequent, as many migrate to other places.
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In Karkardooma, the report highlighted that excessive case assignments to a single court have resulted in overload, impacting case management. It also mentioned that in rape cases, the prosecution’s testimony often takes considerable time, with investigation officers filing chargesheets even in cases deemed false.
For Saket Court, challenges include a lack of specialized public prosecutors in the FTSCs within the south district and inadequate facilities such as internet access and laptops for public prosecutors, which hampers case preparation. It recommended better staffing for courts, including stenographers and other support staff, to enhance efficiency.
Remarkably, POCSO courts in some parts of India have delivered swift verdicts. For example, in Bihar, a POCSO court handed a life sentence to a man within just one day’s proceedings for raping an eight-year-old girl. In Delhi, another man was convicted in April 2025 just seven weeks after the FIR was filed and 11 days post chargesheet submission.
The Union government launched the FTSCs program on October 2, 2019, to establish specialized courts aimed at the speedy resolution of rape and POCSO Act cases. Initially set for one year, the program has since been extended until March 31, 2026, with a total financial outlay of Rs 1,952.23 crore, including a Central share of Rs 1,207.24 crore funded through the Nirbhaya Fund.
The ministry has identified numerous obstacles leading to delays in court case resolutions, such as inadequate physical infrastructure, the complexity of evidence, cooperation from various stakeholders such as the bar, investigative agencies, witnesses, and litigants and the proper application of procedures.
The ministry noted,
“Other factors causing delays include frequent adjournments and lack of adequate arrangements to monitor, track, and group cases for hearings,”
Despite some year-on-year improvement, overall case backlogs continue to rise, as courts have frequently struggled to clear more cases than they receive.
Recently, News18 reported an increase in crimes against children, with POCSO cases being a significant factor. Nationwide, crimes against children have surged from 100,000 in 2016 to 177,000 by 2023, with victims rising from 111,000 to 186,000.
POCSO cases jumped from 36,022 in 2016 to 67,694 in 2023, and the number of POCSO victims climbed from 36,321 in 2016 to 68,636 in 2023, highlighting the alarming rise in sexual violence against minors.
Fast Track Special Courts are a crucial component of India’s judicial system, ensuring prompt justice for victims of severe crimes and safeguarding vulnerable groups while upholding justice through a responsive legal framework.
For survivors of sexual abuse and their families, prolonged trials mean years filled with uncertainty and trauma. As case backlogs rise and trials exceed the one-year mandate, the justice system now faces a pressing question: why are speedy trials still out of reach for so many children?