CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has ordered the establishment of 30 additional special courts to expedite trials in cases involving sexual offences against children and drug-related crimes, including 26 courts exclusively for offences under the POCSO Act and four for cases registered under the NDPS Act.
The orders were issued on the directions of Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, with the stated objectives of reducing the pendency of cases, expediting judicial proceedings and ensuring timely justice for victims.
Of the 26 new courts earmarked for cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, 12 will be newly established, while 14 will be additional courts. The government has sanctioned Rs 46.59 crore for setting them up.
Tamil Nadu currently has 22 operational POCSO special courts, with another four in the process of becoming operational. Once all 26 newly sanctioned courts are established, the State will have 52 special courts exclusively dealing with POCSO cases. The courts will cater to the State’s 47 police districts.
The decision follows a review meeting chaired by the Chief Minister to assess the status of pending POCSO cases across Tamil Nadu. He reviewed the number of cases, their progress and the requirement for additional courts dedicated to trying offences under the Act. He directed officials to take immediate steps to establish POCSO courts in all districts and ensure speedy disposal of cases.
Separately, as part of its ‘Drug-Free Tamil Nadu’ initiative, the government has ordered the establishment of four additional special courts to exclusively try cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
Of these, three courts will be established in Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Vellore, while Chennai will get an additional court. Tamil Nadu currently has 11 special courts dealing with NDPS cases.
The government said the additional courts would help expedite the disposal of pending cases, strengthen judicial processes and intensify efforts to curb drug trafficking and consumption.