The apex court observed that more POCSO courts were required in these states to effectively handle the growing backlog of cases involving crimes against children.
New Delhi, May 15 – The Supreme Court of India has directed the Central Government to immediately take steps to establish special courts that will deal only with cases related to sexual offences against children, as mentioned under the POCSO Act.
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A two-judge bench, comprising Justice Bela M Trivedi and Justice P B Varale, issued this important order on Thursday. They pointed out that there are not enough dedicated POCSO courts in the country, which is leading to delays in completing trials within the time limits given in the law.
The bench observed that “due to the inadequacy of the number of exclusive courts for the Protection of Children against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act cases, the timelines mandated under the law for completion of trials weren’t adhered to.”
Because of this serious issue, the Supreme Court urged both the Union Government and the State Governments to act without delay.
The judges said, “It is therefore expected that the union of India and the state governments shall take appropriate steps to sensitise the officials associated with the investigation of POCSO cases, and also to create dedicated courts to try POCSO cases on top priority basis.”
The bench of Justice Bela M Trivedi and Justice P B Varale expressed concern that although most states, with help from the Central Government, have followed the earlier directions to establish dedicated courts for Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) cases, certain states still fall behind.
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These include Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Orissa, Maharashtra, and several others, where the number of such courts is still inadequate due to the high number of pending cases.
The apex court observed that more POCSO courts were required in these states to effectively handle the growing backlog of cases involving crimes against children.
Previously, the court had assigned senior advocate and amicus curiae V Giri and senior advocate Uttara Babbar to submit detailed, state-wise reports on the status of existing POCSO courts across the country.
This hearing was part of a suo motu case, which the court took up after taking serious note of the “alarming rise in the number of reported child rape incidents” in recent years.
In a significant step, the court directed that in districts with more than 300 pending POCSO cases, the respective states must set up at least two designated courts exclusively for such cases.
The court also clarified that its earlier order from July 2019, which required one exclusive POCSO court in every district with more than 100 registered FIRs under the Act, means that each such court must deal only with POCSO cases and no other types of cases.
These directions underline the Supreme Court’s intent to ensure justice for child victims is not only delivered but delivered quickly. It stressed that simply setting up the courts is not enough – proper staffing, training, and timely action by police and prosecutors are equally important.
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By reinforcing timelines for filing chargesheets and concluding trials, and demanding more courts where needed, the apex court has sent a strong message: protecting the rights of children and delivering justice in cases of abuse must be a top national priority.
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