Under POCSO Act 1,023 Fast Track Courts set up for speedy disposal of cases: Smriti Irani

Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Smriti Zubin Irani, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, said that the central government gives high priority to ensuring the safety and security of women. The Union Minister further informed that the Centre has taken various legislative schematic interventions in this regard. 1,023 Fast Track Special Courts have been set up for speedy disposal of cases of rape and cases under the POCSO Act, Smriti Irani added. 

These include legislations such as ‘The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018’, ‘The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013’, ‘The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013’, ‘The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2006’, ‘The Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961’, etc. The schemes/ projects include One Stop Centres (OSCs), Universalisation of Women Helplines (WHL), Mahila Police Volunteers (MPV), Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) which is a pan-India single number (112)/ mobile app based system for emergencies, a cyber-crime reporting portal to report obscene content and assistance to States/ UTs for strengthening cyber forensic capabilities, safe city projects in 8 cities (Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow and Mumbai), training and skill development programs for Investigation Officers (IOs), Prosecution Officers (POs) and Medical Officers (MOs), distribution of Sexual Assault Evidence Collection (SAEC) Kits to States/ UTs, establishment of state of the art DNA Laboratory at CFSL, Chandigarh, assistance to 20 States/ UTs to strengthen Forensic Science Laboratories, assistance to States/ UTs for their respective victim compensation schemes under Central Victim Compensation Fund (CVCF), assistance to Delhi Police for Special Unit for Women & Children (SPUWAC) and Special Unit for North East Region (SPUNER) at Nanakpura, facility of Social Workers/ Counsellors at the District and Sub- Divisional Police Station Level in Delhi, various activities under Delhi Police ‘Safety of Women’ Scheme, setting up of 1023 Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) for speedy disposal of cases of rape and cases under POCSO Act, setting up/ strengthening of Anti Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) in all districts of the country, setting up/ strengthening of Women Help Desks (WHDs) at Police Stations, Integrated Emergency Response Management System (IERMS) at 983 railway stations, Video Surveillance System at Konkan Railway Stations, scheme for customization, deployment and management of State-wise vehicle tracking platform, assistance to Government of Madhya Pradesh for Safe Tourism Destination for women project and Smart and safe Cities Free from Violence against Women and Girls’ Programme, assistance to Government of Uttar Pradesh for Women’s safety in public transport project of UPSRTC and Mission Shakti for awareness and capacity building program for safety and empowerment of women and girls in industrial sectors of Department of Information, MSME & Export Promotion, assistance to Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation, Government of Karnataka on training women for heavy passengers vehicles and women safety, assistance to Government of Uttarakhand for Safety and Security of Women project, assistance to Government of Nagaland for Nirbhaya Shelter Home, assistance to Government of Rajasthan for Chirali Proposal for women safety, etc. The Empowered Committee under Nirbhaya Fund has recently approved a Scheme for critical care and support for accessing justice to rape/gang-rape survivors and minor girls who get pregnant, Opening One Stop Centres (OSCs) in 10 Indian Missions abroad, the proposal of the Department of School Education, Government of Bihar for improving self-defence quality in women and girls, the proposal of Department of Local Government, Punjab for Punjab Urban Local Bodies Surveillance Grid for Women Safety (PUNGRID-WS) to be implemented in 167 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).

Centre sets up Investigation Tracking System for Sexual OPffences

Giving out further details of the initiative taken by the central government, the Women and Child Development Ministry informed that an Investigation Tracking System for Sexual Offences, which is an online analytic tool for tracking and monitoring investigation, has been set up by the Centre. A National Database on Sexual Offenders (NDSO) has also been created, it added. 

Informing that advisories have been issued to States/UTs from time to time on various issues pertaining to the safety and security of women and children, the Women and Child Development Ministry said that National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) will compile and publish information on crime in its publication. It said that the year-wise, State-wise data of crime committed against women is available on the website of NCRB. 

Smriti Irani in a letter said, "‘Police’ and ‘Public Order are State subjects under the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India. The responsibility to maintain law and order, protection of life and property of the citizens including investigation and prosecution of crime against women and children rests primarily with the respective State Government."

(Image: PTI-Representative)