New Delhi: The Central Government has raised concerns over the West Bengal administration's handling of sexual offence cases, highlighting a backlog of 48,600 rape and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) cases. The centre has criticized the state for not effectively implementing Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) designed to expedite these cases.
In a recent letter dated August 25, Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi addressed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, expressing frustration over the state's delay in activating the FTSCs. The letter, reviewed by Mint, emphasizes the urgent need for West Bengal to enforce legal frameworks and judicial processes to safeguard women and children.
The Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) scheme, launched in October 2019, aims to speed up the trial and resolution of rape and POCSO cases. According to the letter, as of June 30, 2024, 752 FTSCs, including 409 dedicated to POCSO, are operational across 30 states and Union Territories, having resolved over 253,000 cases since its inception.
West Bengal was allocated 123 FTSCs, comprising 20 exclusive POCSO courts and 103 combined courts for both rape and POCSO cases. However, by mid-June 2023, none of these courts were functioning. The state committed to starting 7 FTSCs in a letter dated June 8, 2023, but only 6 exclusive POCSO courts were operational by June 30, 2024. The state still needs to activate the remaining 11 FTSCs.
Minister Devi also criticized the West Bengal government for its failure to implement crucial emergency helplines, including the Women Helpline (WHL), Emergency Response Support System (ERSS), and Child Helpline. Despite the establishment of these helplines in recent years, the West Bengal government has not made them accessible to the public, leaving people unable to utilize these critical services.
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