Fast Track Special Courts: Revolutionizing Justice for Sexual Offences in India

Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) have shown remarkable efficiency in disposing of rape and POCSO cases, achieving an 83% rate in 2022 and 94% in 2023, compared to just 10% across all Indian courts. Despite their success, only 755 FTSCs out of the earmarked 1023 are functional, underlining the need for more such courts to clear the mounting backlog.

Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs), specializing in sexual offence cases, have demonstrated exceptional efficiency, disposing of 83% of cases in 2022 and 94% in 2023. By contrast, the overall disposal rate in all Indian courts was just 10%, according to a recent report.

The report, 'Fast Tracking Justice: Role of Fast Track Special Courts in Reducing Case Backlogs,' highlights the success of these courts. Despite this, significant challenges remain. As of August 2024, only 755 out of the 1023 earmarked FTSCs are functional, including 410 exclusive POCSO courts.

Since 2018, FTSCs have handled 4,16,638 rape and POCSO cases, disposing of 52% of them. However, Maharashtra and Punjab lead with disposal rates of 80% and 71%, respectively, while West Bengal lags with just 2%.

In 2023, 81,471 new cases were instituted, with FTSCs disposing of 76,319, highlighting a 94% disposal rate. Nevertheless, across all courts, only 10% of such cases were disposed of in 2022.

The report calls for urgent action to eliminate backlogs by December 2023, highlighting the need to resolve one case every three minutes. It also urges the establishment of 1,000 additional courts, utilizing the unspent INR 1,700 crore from the Nirbhaya Fund.

Child rights activist Bhuwan Ribhu emphasized the importance of addressing the backlog swiftly, advocating for 1,000 new FTSCs and time-bound trials in all courts. The report also stresses adherence to legal guidelines prohibiting plea bargaining in such cases and highlights the need to modernize judicial infrastructure.

(With inputs from agencies.)