9108 Pocso cases pending in Delhi since Jan 2023

As many as 9,108 Pocso cases are pending in Delhi since January 2022, according to the 2022 National Crime Records Bureau data, as many as 9,108 such cases are pending in Delhi since January 2023.

A report released by the India Child Protection Fund (ICPF) titled "Justice Awaits: An Analysis of the Efficacy of Justice Delivery Mechanisms in Cases of Child Sexual Abuse in India," claimed that even if no more cases are added, it will take a staggering 27 years to dispose of the pending ones.

According to the 2021 NCRB data, only 42 cases of Pocso cases ended with conviction in Delhi.

The ICPF report has analyzed the huge pendency in other states as well. It found that Arunachal Pradesh would take 30 years to clear Pocso cases pending as of January 2023, West Bengal will take 25 years, Uttar Pradesh 22, and Meghalaya 21 years. In the country as a whole, 2,43,237 Pocso cases were pending in different Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) till January 31, 2023.

"Each FTSC was expected to dispose of 41-42 cases in a quarter and at least 165 in a year. The data suggests that FTSCs are unable to achieve the set targets even after three years of the launch of the scheme," the report said.
In fact, each FTSC in the country, on average, disposes of just 28 cases per year, which means the expenditure on one conviction comes to around Rs 9 lakh, the report added.

FTSCs are specialized courts established with the primary aim of expediting the trial process of cases related to sexual offences, particularly those under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (Pocso) Act.