CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu police have submitted suggestions for expediting the prosecution and trial processes in rape and Pocso Act cases in the state for speedy justice to victims and swift punishment to the perpetrators of these heinous crimes. The 10-point suggestion report pitched for prioritising and continuous trial of sexual offence cases.
The submission was made before the first division bench of Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan on Wednesday by Advocate General Vijay Narayan through a status report on behalf of the director general of police (DGP)/head of police force when a petition filed by a sexual assault survivor seeking directions for speedy trial of cases of crimes against women and children came up for hearing.
One of the suggestions of the police is establishing an integrated digital monitoring system and complete integration of interoperable criminal justice system (ICJS) and CCTNS 2.0 platforms as it may facilitate real-time monitoring of timely initiation of trial proceedings after filing of the final report and the subsequent procedures.
Flagging the lack of a seamless interoperability between the court case information system (CIS), ICJS and CCTNS (Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems) constraining the digital ecosystem, the report noted that this results in fragmented data flow and manual coordination among the courts, police and the prosecution.
“Complete integration of these platforms, supported by real-time status updates and supervisory dashboards, would significantly enhance coordination among all stakeholders, ensure timely execution of court processes and facilitate expeditious disposal of rape and Pocso cases,” the report stated.
According to the report, as many as 1,920 rape cases have been pending trial and the final report has been filed in 1,055 cases, accounting for 54.9%.
Out of 18,518 Pocso Act cases, which are pending trial, the final report has been filed by the police in 13,983 cases (70.1%).
The report pointed out that trial has been pending for a period exceeding one year in 10,202 Pocso Act cases even after these cases have been taken on file and victim evidence was recorded within 30 days of taking cognisance of the offence in 3,170 cases.
It noted that there are no sanctioned special courts for exclusive trial of Pocso Act cases in 20 districts.
Referring to policemen indulging in sexual offences, the report said such activity is viewed with utmost seriousness and is dealt with promptly, leading to immediate suspension from service and departmental punishment up to removal from service. A multi-tier supervisory mechanism has been put in place to keep tabs on the night patrols.