HC seeks details of sexual offence cases involving minors as victims

The Delhi High Court today sought a report about the number of pending sexual offence cases involving minors as victims to decide whether to issue a direction for appointment of special prosecutors specially for such matters.
A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice R S Endlaw gave the direction while hearing a PIL alleging that the government has not appointed special public prosecutors (SPPs) to only handle the cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act here.
"Give us a report regarding the number of pending cases under the POCSO Act in Delhi. After seeing that we will able to ascertain whether independent special public prosecutors should be appointed," the bench said, while fixing the matter for further hearing on September 17.

The court passed the order while hearing a plea filed by advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal in a pending PIL.
He has alleged that all the SPPs, who have been appointed to handle the cases under POCSO Act, are dealing with other criminal matters as well.
Bansal sought an urgent hearing of his plea, contending that as per the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights data, there were over 4000 cases pending under the POCSO Act in various district courts here and trial in these would be delayed if "independent or unattached" SPPs were not appointed to deal with them.

The lawyer has said that the powers of SPPs have been conferred upon Additional Public Prosecutors (APPs) to deal with cases pending in courts set up under the POCSO Act.

He has contended the government's decision to confer the powers of SPPs on already attached APPs is contrary to the high court's orders to appoint special prosecutor for such cases alone.
"It is respectfully submitted that this court, through its various orders, has categorically directed the Government of NCT of Delhi to appoint Independent SPPs under the POCSO Act.
"However, despite of the court's intervention, the government has failed to implement the same in its letter and spirit," the application has alleged.