(a) the number of special courts set up under Protection of Children against Sexual Offences Act, 2012, State/UT-wise;
(b) the number of judges appointed in special courts set up under the said Act; and
(c) whether the Government has proposed to increase the number of such courts and if so, the details thereof along with the number of cases filed/backlogs and pendency in such courts, State/UT-wise?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
(SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)
(a) to (c): Section 28 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 provides that the State Government shall in consultation with the Chief Justice of the High Court, by notification in the Official Gazette, designate for each district, a Court of Session to be a Special Court to try the offences under the POCSO Act.
As informed by Department of Justice, setting up and functioning of the Special Courts come under the domain of the State Governments and the Courts are set up by the State Governments in consultation with the High Courts concerned. Besides, as informed by Department of Justice, an amount of Rs.99.35 crore has been released, till 30.01.2020, to 26 States/UTs for setting up of 648 Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) including 363 exclusive POCSO courts.
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