MANGALURU: Data tabled in the Lok Sabha on August 1 has revealed that India’s Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs), established to expedite justice in cases of rape and child sexual abuse under the POCSO Act, continue to face serious delays in trial disposal, with several states recording an average trial duration of over three years.
As per the Ministry of Law and Justice, 725 FTSCs, including 392 exclusive POCSO (e-POCSO) courts, are currently operational across 29 States and Union Territories. These courts, created under a Centrally Sponsored Scheme funded through the Nirbhaya Fund, have together handled 5,38,772 cases since inception. Of these, 3,34,213 cases have been disposed of - roughly 62% of the total.
However, the average time taken by these courts paints a grim picture. Delhi tops the list of delays, with FTSCs taking 1,562 days (over four years) for rape cases and 1,717 days for POCSO cases. On the other end of the spectrum, Puducherry has reported the fastest POCSO trial completions, averaging just 180 days, while Chhattisgarh took an average 300 and 365 days to dispose POCSO and rape cases respectively.
Among the states, Uttar Pradesh has recorded the highest number of cases under the Fast Track Special Courts scheme, with 1,84,159 cases instituted and 91,459 disposed, marking a disposal rate of just under 50%.
The state-wise performance shows significant variation. Kerala has emerged as a top performer, disposing of 26,202 out of 32,494 cases, marking an impressive 81% clearance.
Among southern states, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh report moderate efficiency - Karnataka has cleared about 73% of cases, while Andhra Pradesh trails with 54% disposed. In contrast, West Bengal shows the worst disposal ratio, having cleared only 457 of 5,611 cases - an abysmal 8%.
The report also outlined that while delays are attributed to procedural complexity, witness cooperation, and frequent adjournments, efforts are ongoing to improve infrastructure. Since 2014, the number of court halls in the country has increased from 15,818 to 22,372 - a 41% jump. Residential units for judicial officers have nearly doubled from 10,211 to 19,851. Another 3,128 court halls and 2,772 residences are under construction.
Under the scheme, Rs 1,034.55 crore has been disbursed to states and UTs from the Centre since 2019. The funding covers salaries for judicial officers and support staff, along with flexible grants for operational costs. The Centre has also urged states to fill vacancies and comply with POCSO timelines. Notably, Jharkhand has exited the FTSC scheme as of July 2025, though it had previously disposed of 9,114 cases. Arunachal Pradesh opted out entirely, citing a low volume of cases, while Andaman & Nicobar Islands have yet to operationalise any FTSCs.