Supreme Court asks Centre to establish POCSO courts on ‘top priority basis'
The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the central government to establish POCSO courts on "top priority basis" to exclusively deal with cases of sexual offences against children.
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, said the apex court.
"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," said a Supreme Court bench of Justices Bela M. Trivedi and PB Varale.
The apex court was hearing a petition underlining the "alarming rise in the number of reported child rape incidents" in a suo motu case.
The court also directed filing of chargesheets within the mandatory period stipulated in law besides completing trials within the prescribed time frame.
The SC noted that while majority states, with the funding from the Centre, complied with the directions for setting up exclusive courts for POCSO cases, in Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Orissa, Maharashtra, and a few other states, more POCSO courts were required given the pendency of such cases.
Earlier, the top court had directed senior advocate and amicus curiae V. Giri and senior advocate Uttara Babbar to submit state-wise details on the status of POCSO courts.
It asked states to set up two designated courts in districts where the number of pending cases of child abuse under the POCSO Act was more than 300.
A court in Thane has sentenced a 32-year-old man to ten years' rigorous imprisonment for the rape and sexual assault of a then 11-year-old girl in the district in 2013.
Dinesh S. Deshmukh, special judge for Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences Act cases, delivered the verdict on Wednesday.
Bablu alias Mohammad Mustapha Imtiyaz Shaikh who was 20 years old at the time of the crime was found guilty under relevant sections of the POCSO Act and for rape under the Indian Penal Code.
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