Nirbhaya Fund: Fast Track Courts decide 2.87 lakh rape, POCSO cases in six years

New Delhi, Dec 6 (IANS) The 750 Fast Track Special Courts, including exclusive POCSO Courts, in the country have decided 2.87 lakh cases since their creation following the enactment of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018, the Lok Sabha was informed on Friday.

Minister of State (Independent Charge), for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal, in a written reply in Lok Sabha, said that the Centrally-sponsored scheme has been extended twice, with the latest extension up to March 31, 2026, targeting the establishment of 790 courts. “As per the inputs received from High Courts, as on October 31, 2024, 750 FTSCs, including 408 exclusive POCSO Courts, are functional in 30 States/UTs. These courts have disposed of more than 2,87,000 cases as of October 31, 2024,” MoS Meghwal said in response to questions by Suresh Kumar Kashyap and K. Sudhakar.

Highlighting the impact of FTSCs on the disposal rate of rape and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) cases, MoS Meghwal said, “The disposal rate of rape and POCSO Act cases in Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) appears to be significantly higher than in regular courts. While the average disposal rate of rape and POCSO Act cases in regular courts is estimated at 3.26 cases per court per month, FTSCs achieve an average of 8.01 cases per month.”

The FTSCs have been set up and operationalised under the Nirbhaya Fund which was created following the Nirbhaya gangrape case in Delhi on December 16, 2012. The Government set up the fund for utilisation in projects specifically designed to improve the safety and security of women, he said. The Department of Justice has released a total of Rs 1,008.14 crore to the States/UTs since the fund’s inception to ensure the smooth functioning of courts, which includes Rs 173.59 crore released in the current FY against the allocated budget of Rs 200 crore, MoS Meghwal.