UP Finally Gets Fast-Track Courts As There Are 25,749 Rape And 42,389 POCSO Cases Pending

A recently released National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data for 2017, revealed that Uttar Pradesh was ranked as the most unsafe state for women while listing Madhya Pradesh as the rape capital.

Uttar Pradesh recorded the maximum number of crimes against women with 56,011 cases in 2017, while Madhya Pradesh registered the highest number of rape cases at 5562.

The state's dubious track record was once again highlighted last week when a 23-year-old woman who was gang-raped last year was set ablaze by the rapists who were out on bail.

Now, under fire for the increase in the number of attacks on women, the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to set up fast track courts to try cases of rapes and crimes against children under the Pocso Act. According to the proposal, there will be a total of 218 fast track courts, out of which 144 deal with cases of rapes and another 74 to deal with sexual crimes against children under the Pocso Act.

¡°Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed concern over the spurt in crime against women. He has ordered implementation of law strictly and quick disposal of criminal cases against women and children pending in the courts,¡± making the announcement, Uttar Pradesh Law Minister Brajesh Pathak said.

The government will spend Rs 165 crore to set up the 218 courts.

He also said that a total of 42,379 cases of sexual crimes against children and 25,749 of crimes against women are pending in UP courts.

Following the murder of the 23-year-old in Unnao, there is a growing demand in the state and even from the family of the rape victim that the perpetrators be dealt the same way four men arrested for gang rape and murder in Hyderabad was killed in a police encounter.

The four men were taken to the crime scene on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday to recreate the chain of events. According to the Hyderabad police, one of the accused snatched a gun from one of the cops and they tried to flee forcing them to shoot and kill all of them.

The encounter killing that has left many questions unanswered was hailed by a large section of the society as instant justice and speedy justice. Many have pointed out how the legal system fails the rape survivors, by dragging the case for years.

They also argued that the four men who were sentenced to death in 2013 for the gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old paramedical student in Delhi in 2012 are still alive.