Over 2.43 L Pocso cases pending across India

 Kurnool: Nava Youth Association president and project director of ‘Access to Justice for Children’, K. Venu Gopal Reddy said many Pocso cases were still pending trial in Fast-Track Special Courts (FTSCs), with some not even registered at police stations despite their occurrences.

According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), India has over 2,43, 237 Pocso cases pending trial in FTSCs as of January 31, 2023. He said it would take India around nine years to clear this backlog while Andhra Pradesh might need approximately 11 years.

He said the low conviction rate in these cases was also concerning and mentioned that in 2022 only 3 per cent of cases nationally resulted in convictions. This statistic was part of a research paper prepared by the India Child Protection Fund (ICPF), which is a coalition partner of Child Marriage Free India along with Nava Youth Association in Kurnool district.

He underscored the crucial role of Fast-Track Special Courts, which are intended to expedite the trial process for sexual offences, particularly under the Pocso Act.