Fast Track Special Courts for Speedy disposal of Rape and POCSO Act Cases

Fast Track Special Courts for Speedy disposal of Rape and POCSO Act Case1

Question: How many new Fast Track courts are decided to be set up for speedy disposal of Rape and POCSO Act case under the National Mission for safety of Women?
(a) 500
(b) 1000
(c) 1023
(d) 2000
Answer: (c)
Related facts:

  • Incidents of rape and gang rape of minor girls below age of twelve years and similar heinous crimes against women have shaken the conscience of the entire nation.
  • Therefore, the offences of rape and gang rape of women and children require effective deterrence through fast and time bound completion of trial relating to sexual offences.
  • To bring out more stringent provisions and expeditious trial and disposal of such cases, Union of India enacted the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018.
  • This has taken up work of setting up of Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) as a part of National Mission for Safety of Women (NMSW).
  • Accordingly, the Central Government has started a Scheme for setting up of 1023 FTSCs across the country based on pendency of subject cases obtained from various High Courts (1,66,882 numbers as on 31.03.2018) for time bound trial and disposal of pending cases related to rape and POCSO Act.
  • The Scheme was circulated to all concerned State Governments/ Union Territories Administrations in September, 2019.
  • Out of total 31 States and UTs, so far, 24 have joined this scheme (Andhara Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, NCT of Delhi, Nagaland, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, UT of Chandigarh, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh) for setting up of 792 numbers of FTSCs/ including 354 exclusive POCSO courts.
  • 216 numbers of POCSO courts have already been operationalized in 12 States under the scheme.

Links:
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1598939