Orissa HC chief justice S Muralidhar inaugurates eight POCSO courts
CUTTACK: Chief Justice of Orissa High Court S Muralidhar on Monday urged the fast track POCSO courts in the State to make use of the Vulnerable Witness Deposition Centres (VWDCs) and virtual court rooms to mitigate the ordeal that victims face during trial.
"Since many of the cases involve young adults - whether as victims or as offenders - the presiding officers of the courts are expected to display a greater degree of sensitivity in handling the cases and ensure the dignity of the victim through the trial process," the CJ said.
The facilities have been made available in each of the district court complexes, as the CJ inaugurated in virtual mode the POCSO courts at Balasore, Bhadrak, Dhenkanal, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Jeypore, Kendrapara and Keonjhar.
Muralidhar said in the recent past the State has seen a rise in the number of cases involving the offences of rape and gang rape and those attracting the provisions of the POCSO Act. He said the provision of exclusive courts to deal with POCSO offences was to ensure that the trials are conducted expeditiously and with minimal trauma to the victim of the crime.
The CJ also urged the legal services authorities to ensure timely disbursal of compensation to the victims of the crime and effective legal representation during trial. He stressed cooperation of the Bar in the trials in POCSO courts to deliver speedy justice to the victims.