LUCKNOW: Amid the outrage over the death of the Unnao rape victim and the increasing crime against women in Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath cabinet on Monday approved a proposal to set up 218 fast track courts in the state in the near future to ensure speedy disposal of cases related to rape and criminal offence against children under POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act-2012.
The state cabinet gave its nod to the proposal two days after the death of a rape victim who succumbed to 90 per cent burns after she was set on fire by the perpetrators of rape at her native village Hindu Khera in Unnao district on early Thursday morning. After battling for life for good 44 hours, she gave up at Safdurjung hospital in New Delhi on late Friday night.
As per the provision of the state government, of 218 fast track courts, 144 will deal exclusively with the rape cases and rest 74 with the offences committed against children under POCSO Act 2012.
Sharing the information, state Law minister Brijesh Pathak said currently the state had 42,389 pending cases of sexual offences against children and 25,749 pending cases of rape and sexual crimes against women. “Given such a huge pendency of cases and for their speedy disposal, 218 new fast track courts would be set up,” said the minister.
This year since January till November 15, 2553 cases of rape have been registered across UP. The figure (official) is lowest as compared to the corresponding previous years – 3946 in 2018, 4272 in 2017 and 3481 in 2016.
For the proposed fast-track courts, 218 posts of additional session judge have been created, and staff posts for the court will also be created. To begin with, the government had estimated a budget of ₹75 lakh per court. However, an estimated expenditure of Rs 63 lakh will be incurred on each of the new fast-track courts," Pathak also said.
The minister added: "As far as the costs incurred in running the courts, 60 per cent will be borne by the Centre, while the state government will contribute 40 per cent.” In order to ensure speedy justice to victims, the minister said that the fast track proceeding would start from today itself.
“As these courts will not be having a permanent building right now, so the provision of taking office on rent has also been made in the proposal approved today,” he maintained.
However, Monday’s cabinet decision failed to impress the opposition parties. “I am afraid it doesn’t prove to be another eyewash. First, they need to spruce up the police system in order to provide relief to the victims who are often shooed away from the police station when they approach them to get their case registered,” said a senior Congress leader.
Unnao rape case involving BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in 2018 and Shajahanpur case of alleged sexual harassment of a law student by a former union minister Chinmayanand in 2019 flag out the situation of women in the state.
Several other cases of crime against women have also been reported in the state in recent days. While a teenager was allegedly raped and set ablaze in Sambhal district in western UP and she died in hospital, days before the Hyderabad case, a 30-year-old woman faced an acid attack by four men for refusing to withdraw a rape complaint in Muzaffarnagar also in western UP.
A man allegedly raped his daughter in Bahraich and in Bijnor another man was accused of raping his niece. Last week, a man was arrested in Pratapgarh for allegedly raping a 14-year-old deaf girl.