CHENNAI: The state government on Sunday announced the setting up of 26 new special courts to expedite the trial of cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, taking the number of exclusive Pocso courts in the state to 52. It will also establish four special courts to try cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, taking the total number of such courts to 15.
The decision was taken on the directions of CM C Joseph Vijay, in view of the growing pendency of cases, the government said in a press release.
The 26 Pocso courts will be established at a cost of Rs 46.59 crore. The proposal includes 12 new courts and 14 additional courts. At present, 22 exclusive Pocso courts are functioning in the state, while four more are in the process of becoming operational. Once the new courts are established, TN will have 52 exclusive Pocso courts across 47 police districts.
The decision came after a review of pending Pocso cases, where the CM ordered officials to establish special courts in every district and fast-track trials without delay.
TN has more than 18,500 Pocso cases pending trial, of which over 10,000 have been pending for more than a year. The decision also comes amid a rise in reported offences. The state registered 6,969 Pocso cases in 2024, compared to 4,581 in 2023, according to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data.
4 new NDPS courts will be set up in Kanchi, Tiruvallur and Vellore
Child rights activists welcomed the decision to open more courts but stressed that additional measures were needed to address the low conviction rate and mounting pendency.
“In a progressive state like TN, more cases of child sexual abuse are being reported as awareness grows and victims’ families increasingly break the barriers of family and society to speak out. This is a positive development. However, the high pendency and low conviction rate remain a concern.
The move also comes after the SC pulled up the state over the pendency of Pocso cases,” said Devaneyan, a child rights activist. He also welcomed the government’s recent decision to provide remuneration to Pocso support persons. However, he pointed out that designated courts continued to face shortages of infrastructure and staff, including special public prosecutors.
Many courts also lacked child-friendly facilities and procedures, while concerns remained over whether prosecutors were adequately equipped to handle Pocso cases. Devaneyan called on the government to review and publish district-wise pendency figures to identify gaps in the system.
As a long-term measure, he suggested appointing full-time child welfare police officers and establishing a dedicated unit to handle Pocso cases, on the lines of the law and order and crime wings. A comprehensive approach was essential to improve the conviction rate, he added.
Meanwhile, the four new NDPS courts will be established in Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Vellore, with one each in the first two districts and Vellore, and an additional court in Chennai. The new courts are part of the government’s ‘Drug-Free Tamil Nadu’ initiative and are intended to expedite the disposal of pending cases, the release said.
