Kolkata horror: Bengal’s 123 fast-track courts not working; 48K rape, POCSO cases pending: Centre

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 26

Days after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote to PM Narendra Modi to demand a tough Central law to punish rapists, Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi on Monday said the West Bengal Government had not taken any steps to operationalise several Fast-Track Special Courts (FTSC) despite a pendency of 48,600 rape and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) cases.

Panel takes note of rape threat to mp’s daughter

• West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights took note of rape threat to 11-year-old daughter of TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee
• The panel took suo motu cognisance of a video from a protest rally over doctor’s rape and murder in Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital
• It said one person in the gathering was heard threatening the minor daughter of Banerjee with rape and publicly announcing a reward of ~10 crore to anyone who carries out the crime
• “Such filthy intention of the miscreant and his indecent remark in public amount to outraging the modesty of a minor girl and also endangering her safety and security,” the commission said

In a letter to West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Devi reminded the TMC supremo that 123 FTSCs, which included 20 exclusive POCSO courts, had not been operationalised in the state till mid-June 2023.

The FTSC scheme was launched in October 2019 to expedite the trial and disposal of pending cases related to rape and POCSO Act. “As of 30.06.2024, 752 FTSCs, including 409 exclusive POCSO courts are functional in 30 states/UTs, which have disposed of more than 2,53,000 cases since the inception of the scheme. Under the scheme, the state of West Bengal was allocated a total of 123 FTSCs, which included 20 exclusive POCSO courts and 103 combined FTSCs dealing with both rape and POCSO Act cases,” the letter said.

It added: “However, none of these courts had been operationalised till mid-June, 2023. West Bengal communicated its willingness to participate in the scheme vide letter dated 08.06.2023, committing to start 7 FTSCs. Under the revised target, West Bengal has been allocated 17 FTSCs, of which only 6 exclusive POCSO courts have been operationalized as of 30.06.2024.”

The minister also criticised the state government for failing to implement the Women Helpline (WHL).