Supreme Court: The 3-judge bench of Dipak Misra, CJ and AM Khanwilkar & Dr. DY Chandrachud, JJ directed all High Courts to ensure that the cases of sexual assault of children are fast-tracked and decided expeditiously by special courts. The bench also asked the the high courts to instruct the trial courts not to grant unnecessary adjournments during trial of cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The Court also directed that the High Courts may constitute a committee of three judges to regulate and monitor the trials of sexual assault cases of children.
The Court was hearing the petition filed by advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava after the horrific incident of rape of an 8-month girl child allegedly by her 28-year-old cousin on January 28 in a locality near Netaji Subhash Place in north-west Delhi had come to light. He had also sought the provision of death penalty in such cases and framing of guidelines that investigation and trial of cases involving rape of children below 12 years of age under POSCO Act, should be completed in six months from the date of registration of the FIR.
The Union Cabinet had on April 21 approved the ordinance to provide stringent punishment, including death penalty, for those convicted of rape of girls below 12 years. The move of the Centre came after a public outcry for award of death penalty to such sexual offenders, including the assaulters of an 8-year-old girl who was gang raped and killed at Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir recently.
Source: PTI