India needs 1,023 special courts to try rape, child rape cases: Law Ministry

A little over 1,000 ‘fast track special courts’ need to be set up across India as part of a new scheme to try cases related to rape of children and women, the Law Ministry has estimated.

These courts are to be set up as part of a larger scheme to strengthen infrastructure for better investigation and swift prosecution in such cases.

The Department of Justice in the Law Ministry has estimated an expenditure of Rs 767.25 to set up these special courts. The Centre will have to shell out Rs 474 crore as central funding, the department has told the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

“... It is estimated that a total of 1,023 FTSCs (fast track special courts) are required to be set up for disposing of rape and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act cases with an estimated expenditure of Rs 767.25 crore out of which Rs 464 crore as central funding on the pattern of centrally sonsored scheme,” said a Law Ministry document.

The details worked out by it have been forwarded to the MHA.

The new scheme is part of an ordinance recently promulgated to allow courts to award death penalty to those convicted of raping children aged up to 12 years.

The Criminal Laws (Amendment) Ordinance amended the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), the Evidence Act and the POCSO Act.

While bringing out the ordinance, the government had decided to frame a scheme to set up an "appropriate" number of fast track courts to try rape cases in the states.