India's Fast-Track Courts: A Stumbled Initiative to Tackle Sex Crimes Swiftly

The Indian government's initiative to set up fast-track special courts (FTSC) for sex crimes is facing significant setbacks. Initially aiming to establish 2,600 such courts by 2026, the target has now been revised to 790 due to low state interest and lack of judges. States like West Bengal and Jharkhand have notably lagged behind, causing significant delays in delivering justice.

India's ambitious plan to swiftly tackle sex crimes through fast-track special courts (FTSC) is stumbling. Initiated in 2019, the federal government initially aimed to establish 2,600 FTSCs by 2026, but has now slashed the target to 790 due to low state participation and a shortage of judges, according to government officials and documents seen by Reuters.

States like West Bengal, where the brutal rape-homicide of a doctor shocked the nation, have significantly lagged behind. Initially given a target of 123 FTSCs by March 2021, the state has managed to operationalize only six tribunals, leaving approximately 48,600 rape and sexual offense cases pending. Federal government documents outline these shortfalls for the first time.

Compounding the issue, India's judicial system is already heavily burdened with a backlog of tens of millions of cases. Some states like Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan have met their targets, while others like Maharashtra and Jharkhand lag behind. Opposition-led states have generally been slower to implement the FTSC plan.

(With inputs from agencies.)