NEW DELHI: The special courts designated to deal with cases against MPs and MLAs under the Commissions for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act, 2005, and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, have a new role.
They will now be able to hear such cases against former MPs and MLAs as well. Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena has approved the proposal of including former MPs and MLAs, which was sent by the Rekha Gupta government to him. The new addition, thereby, has increasing the ambit of this special courts located at the Rouse Avenue Courts complex.
The lieutenant governor’s secretariat said that the court of special judge (PC Act)(CBI)-09, the court of special judge (PC Act)(CBI)-23 and court of special judge (PC Act)(CBI)-24 at the Rouse Avenue Courts have been designated as special courts for this purpose.
Earlier in July 2023, Saxena had approved the setting up of three special courts to deal with the cases against MPs and MLAs under the CPCR Act and the POCSO Act at the Rouse Avenue Courts.
In December 2020, the High Court of Delhi had asked the Delhi government to set up special courts to try MPs and MLAs under the acts meant for protecting the sexual rights of children. The Delhi government acted on it and sent the proposal to this effect for approval of the lieutenant governor. These three courts are in addition to the eight courts already notified to deal with the cases relating to trial of offences against children, violation of child rights and for trial of offences under the POCSO Act.