Sanatan Prabhat > Location > Asia > India > Maharashtra > 1,219 Sexual Assault Cases Pending with Maharashtra’s Fast-Track Courts -Pritam Nachankar, Mumbai

1,219 Sexual Assault Cases Pending with Maharashtra’s Fast-Track Courts -Pritam Nachankar, Mumbai

Mumbai, 26 September (News) – Akshay Shinde, the accused in a sexual assault case of Badlapur, was killed in a Police encounter. Some leaders from the opposition parties countered  that the accused should have been punished by trying in the Court but the Police deliberately orchestrated the encounter. In fact, a staggering 1,219 cases of sexual assaults are still pending in Maharashtra’s fast-track courts which include 65 rape cases and 901 cases under the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act. This data on the status of sexual assault cases in Maharashtra, as of 31 July 2024, was obtained from the Mumbai High Court by ‘Sanatan Prabhat’ reporter, Mr. Pritam Nachankar, under the Right to Information Act (RTI).

Non-availability of Judges

In 2011, under the ‘National Mission for the Safety of Women,’ the Union Government approved setting up of 1,023 fast-track courts across the country to expedite cases concerning women and children. Maharashtra was allocated 138 fast-track courts; however, due to the non-availability of judges, the number of operational fast-track courts cannot be increased. As a result, hundreds of cases remain pending, and hearings in these courts proceed at a very slow speed.

Only 9 Operational Fast-Track Courts in Maharashtra

Out of the 30 courts sanctioned in Maharashtra to handle cases of child abuse under the fast-track system, only 9 were operational as of 21 September 2024. The number of fast-track courts fluctuates monthly depending on the availability of judges, but for several months, this number has varied between 5 and 9. The increasing number of rape cases and the very few fast-track courts are affecting the disposal of cases.

Why People Supported Akshay Shinde’s Encounter Death !

210 Cases Pending for 1 to 5 Years

As of July 2024, there were 210 sexual assault cases under the POCSO Act pending for 1 to 5 years in Maharashtra’s fast-track courts. The rate of disposal of cases in these courts varies between 14% and 30%, changing with each month’s proceedings.

The situation in the country is no different from Maharashtra’s backlog of pending rape cases. In future, therefore, if these cases are not resolved swiftly and accused are not punished in time, people may lose trust in the judicial system, increasing discontent.

Editorial Perspective

If in just one State, so many sexual assault cases are pending, the situation in the entire country is beyond one’s imagination. Fast-track courts are established to provide speedy justice to victims. What steps will the Government and judiciary take to serve the purpose of setting up such courts ?

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