Guwahati: The establishment of Fast Track Courts (FTCs) and their operation fall under the purview of the State Governments who do so in accordance with their needs and resources in consultation with the relevant High Courts. This information was provided by Minister of Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju in a written response to a question in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
According to data published by the High Courts, 242 additional FTCs were established after 2017 (596 FTCs were existing as on 31.12.2017 which has increased to 838 FTCs as on 31.10.2022).
In accordance with the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act 2018 and the direction of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in Suo Moto 1/2019 dated 25.7.2019, the Union Government began a Centrally Sponsored Scheme in October 2019 for the establishment of 1023 Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) including 389 exclusive POCSO Courts in 31 States/UTs for the expeditious trial and disposition of cases related to rape and the POCSO Act.
The Scheme’s original duration was one year, but it has now been extended through March 31, 2023. According to data from the High Courts, 733 FTSCs including 413 exclusive POCSO Courts are operationalized in 28 States/UTs. Since the scheme’s commencement these courts have resolved more than 1,24,000 cases and as of October 31,2022, 1,93,814 cases are still ongoing.