Lok Sabha Question No. 4359 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-20
Subject: Fast Track Courts in Kerala
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Shri Rajmohan Unnithan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4359 ANSWERED ON - 20/12/2024

## FAST TRACK COURTS IN KERALA

## 4359. SHRI RAJMOHAN UNNITHAN :

Will the Minister of LAW AND JUSTICE be pleased to state:

(a) the details of Fast Track Courts scheme, including its implementation in Kerala, district-wise;

(b) the number of cases disposed of, along with the measures, if any, taken to address challenges faced in its effective functioning; and

(c) the  steps  being  taken  to  enhance  the  effectiveness  of  Fast  Track  Courts,  particularly  in  Kerala,  in addressing pendency of cases related to sexual offense?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  (INDEPENDENT  CHARGE)  OF  THE  MINISTRY  OF  LAW  AND  JUSTICE; AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS

## ( SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHWAL )

(a) to (c): Establishment of subordinate courts including Fast Track Courts (FTCs) for providing speedy justice in the country lies within the domain of the State/UT Governments who set up such courts as per their need and resources, in consultation with their respective High Courts. The 14 th  Finance Commission had recommended for setting up of 1800 Fast Track Courts (FTCs) during 2015-2020 for speedy trial of specific cases of heinous nature, civil cases related to women, children, senior citizens, disabled persons, persons infected with terminal ailments etc. and property related cases pending for more than 5 years. The Finance Commission had further urged the State Governments to utilize enhanced fiscal space available through tax devolution for this purpose. The Union Government has requested the State Governments to allocate  funds  for  the  setting  up  of  FTCs,  from  the  financial  year  2015-16  onward.  As  per  information made available by the High Courts, 863 FTCs are functional in the country as on 31.10.2024.  However, no FTC is functional in the State of Kerala . The State/UT-wise details of functional Fast Track Courts, are at Annexure-I.

Further, pursuant to the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018 and the order of Hon'ble Supreme Court [Suo Motu Writ (Criminal) No. 1/2019], the Central Government is implementing a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for setting  up  Fast  Track  Special  Courts  (FTSCs)  including  exclusive  POCSO  (e-POCSO)  since

October,  2019  for  expeditious  trial  and  disposal  of  pending  cases  pertaining  to  Rape  and  Protection  of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in a time-bound manner. The scheme was initially for one year,  which  was  extended  up  to  March,  2023.  The  Union  Cabinet  further  approved  the  extension  of  the Scheme for another three years, from 01.04.2023 to 31.03.2026, at an outlay of Rs.1952.23 cr. including Rs.1207.24 cr. as Central Share to be incurred from Nirbhaya Fund. As per the data submitted by the High Courts, 750 FTSCs including 408 exclusive POCSO (e-POCSO) courts are functional in 30 States/UTs, as on 31.10.2024. These courts have disposed of more than 2,87,000 cases since the inception of the Scheme while  more  than  2,03,000  cases  are  pending.  The  State/UT-wise  details  of  functional  Fast  Track  Special Courts (FTSCs) along with the cumulative disposal, are at Annexure-II.

In the State of Kerala, 55 FTSCs , including 14 exclusive POCSO courts , are functional. The districtwise list of these 55 functional FTSCs are at Annexure-III . These courts have disposed of over 22,000 cases since the inception of the Scheme, while 6,635 cases remain pending.

For efficient implementation of the Scheme, the Department of Justice conducts regular review meetings through  Video  Conferencing  with  the  nodal  officers  of  the  State/UT  Governments  and  their  respective High Courts.  To ensure effective monitoring, a dashboard has been created by the Department to gather detailed information and track the performance of the FTSCs, through the High Courts.

*****

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4359 FOR ANSWER ON 20.12.2024 REGARDING 'FAST TRACK COURTS IN KERALA'

State/UT-wise details of functional Fast Track Courts (As on 31.10.2024)

| Sl. No.   | Name of States/UTs                 |   Number of Functional FTCs |
|-----------|------------------------------------|-----------------------------|
| 1         | Andhra Pradesh                     |                          21 |
| 2         | Andaman &Nicobar Island            |                           0 |
| 3         | Arunachal Pradesh                  |                           0 |
| 4         | Assam                              |                          15 |
| 5         | Bihar                              |                           0 |
| 6         | Chandigarh                         |                           0 |
| 7         | Chhattisgarh                       |                          27 |
| 8         | Dadra &Nagar Haveli and Diu &Daman |                           0 |
| 9         | Delhi                              |                          26 |
| 10        | Goa                                |                           4 |
| 11        | Gujarat                            |                          54 |
| 12        | Haryana                            |                           6 |
| 13        | Himachal Pradesh                   |                           3 |
| 14        | Jammu &Kashmir                     |                           8 |
| 15        | Jharkhand                          |                          41 |
| 16        | Karnataka                          |                           0 |
| 17        | Kerala                             |                           0 |
| 18        | Ladakh                             |                           0 |
| 19        | Lakshadweep                        |                           0 |
| 20        | Madhya Pradesh                     |                           0 |
| 21        | Maharashtra                        |                         101 |
| 22        | Manipur                            |                           6 |
| 23        | Meghalaya                          |                           0 |
| 24        | Mizoram                            |                           2 |
| 25        | Nagaland                           |                           0 |
| 26        | Odisha                             |                           0 |
| 27        | Puducherry                         |                           0 |
| 28        | Punjab                             |                           7 |
| 29        | Rajasthan                          |                           0 |
| 30        | Sikkim                             |                           2 |
| 31        | Tamil Nadu                         |                          72 |
| 32        | Telangana                          |                           0 |
| 33        | Tripura                            |                           3 |
| 34        | Uttar Pradesh                      |                         373 |
| 35        | Uttarakhand                        |                           4 |
| 36        | West Bengal                        |                          88 |
|           | TOTAL                              |                         863 |

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4359 FOR ANSWER ON 20.12.2024 REGARDING 'FAST TRACK COURTS IN KERALA' .

## State/UT-wise details of Fast Track Special Courts including exclusive POCSO Courts (As on 31.10.2024)

|        |                      | Functional Courts               | Functional Courts   | Cumulative Disposal since the inception of the Scheme   | Cumulative Disposal since the inception of the Scheme   | Cumulative Disposal since the inception of the Scheme   |
|--------|----------------------|---------------------------------|---------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|
| Sl.No. | State/UT             | FTSCs including exclusive POCSO | Exclusive POCSO     | FTSCs                                                   | Exclusive POCSO                                         | Total                                                   |
| 1      | Andhra Pradesh       | 16                              | 16                  | 0                                                       | 5839                                                    | 5839                                                    |
| 2      | Assam                | 17                              | 17                  | 0                                                       | 7076                                                    | 7076                                                    |
| 3      | Bihar                | 46                              | 46                  | 0                                                       | 13762                                                   | 13762                                                   |
| 4      | Chandigarh           | 1                               | 0                   | 300                                                     | 0                                                       | 300                                                     |
| 5      | Chhattisgarh         | 15                              | 11                  | 1070                                                    | 4455                                                    | 5525                                                    |
| 6      | Delhi                | 16                              | 11                  | 634                                                     | 1563                                                    | 2197                                                    |
| 7      | Goa                  | 1                               | 0                   | 49                                                      | 34                                                      | 83                                                      |
| 8      | Gujarat              | 35                              | 24                  | 2706                                                    | 11153                                                   | 13859                                                   |
| 9      | Haryana              | 16                              | 12                  | 1743                                                    | 5189                                                    | 6932                                                    |
| 10     | Himachal Pradesh     | 6                               | 3                   | 519                                                     | 745                                                     | 1264                                                    |
| 11     | J&K                  | 4                               | 2                   | 108                                                     | 134                                                     | 242                                                     |
| 12     | Jharkhand            | 22                              | 16                  | 2483                                                    | 5293                                                    | 7776                                                    |
| 13     | Karnataka            | 31                              | 17                  | 4466                                                    | 7406                                                    | 11872                                                   |
| 14     | Kerala               | 55                              | 14                  | 15292                                                   | 6916                                                    | 22208                                                   |
| 15     | Madhya Pradesh       | 67                              | 57                  | 4260                                                    | 24388                                                   | 28648                                                   |
| 16     | Maharashtra          | 8                               | 4                   | 8604                                                    | 11957                                                   | 20561                                                   |
| 17     | Manipur              | 2                               | 0                   | 167                                                     | 0                                                       | 167                                                     |
| 18     | Meghalaya            | 5                               | 5                   | 0                                                       | 623                                                     | 623                                                     |
| 19     | Mizoram              | 3                               | 1                   | 171                                                     | 66                                                      | 237                                                     |
| 20     | Nagaland             | 1                               | 0                   | 64                                                      | 3                                                       | 67                                                      |
| 21     | Odisha               | 44                              | 23                  | 5897                                                    | 10905                                                   | 16802                                                   |
| 22     | Puducherry*          | 1                               | 1                   | 0                                                       | 107                                                     | 107                                                     |
| 23     | Punjab               | 12                              | 3                   | 2298                                                    | 2191                                                    | 4489                                                    |
| 24     | Rajasthan            | 45                              | 30                  | 5014                                                    | 11497                                                   | 16511                                                   |
| 25     | Tamil Nadu           | 14                              | 14                  | 0                                                       | 8534                                                    | 8534                                                    |
| 26     | Telangana            | 36                              | 0                   | 7118                                                    | 2731                                                    | 9849                                                    |
| 27     | Tripura              | 3                               | 1                   | 223                                                     | 196                                                     | 419                                                     |
| 28     | Uttarakhand          | 4                               | 0                   | 1747                                                    | 0                                                       | 1747                                                    |
| 29     | Uttar Pradesh        | 218                             | 74                  | 38428                                                   | 40813                                                   | 79241                                                   |
| 30     | West Bengal          | 6                               | 6                   | 0                                                       | 193                                                     | 193                                                     |
| 31     | A&N**                | -                               | -                   | -                                                       | -                                                       | -                                                       |
| 32     | Arunachal Pradesh*** | -                               | -                   | -                                                       | -                                                       | -                                                       |
|        | TOTAL                | 750                             | 408                 | 103361                                                  | 183769                                                  | 287130                                                  |

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4359 FOR ANSWER ON 20.12.2024 REGARDING 'FAST TRACK COURTS IN KERALA' .

## District wise list of Fast Track Special Courts including exclusive POCSO (ePOCSO) Courts

## in the State of Kerala(As on31.10.2024)

|   SI.No. | Name of the Court                              |
|----------|------------------------------------------------|
|        1 | Fast Track Special Court, Thiruvananthapuram** |
|        2 | Fast Track Special Court, Neyyattinkara        |
|        3 | Fast Track Special Court, Nedumangad           |
|        4 | Fast Track Special Court, Attingal             |
|        5 | Fast Track Special Court, Varkala              |
|        6 | Fast Track Special Court, Kattakkada           |
|        7 | Fast Track Special Court-II, Neyyattinkara     |
|        8 | Fast Track Special Court, Punalur**            |
|        9 | Fast Track Special Court, Karunagappally       |
|       10 | Fast Track Special Court, Kollam               |
|       11 | Fast Track Special Court, Kottarakkara         |
|       12 | Fast Track Special Court, Pathanamthitta**     |
|       13 | Fast Track Special Court, Adoor                |
|       14 | Fast Track Special Court, Haripad**            |
|       15 | Fast Track Special Court, Cherthala            |
|       16 | Fast Track Special Court, Chengannur           |
|       17 | Fast Track Special Court, Kottayam**           |
|       18 | Fast Track Special Court,Changanacherry        |
|       19 | Fast Track Special Court, Erattupetta          |
|       20 | Fast Track Special Court, Idukki at Painavu    |
|       21 | Fast Track Special Court, Kattappana**         |
|       22 | Fast Track Special Court, Devikulam            |
|       23 | Fast Track Special Court, Perumbavoor**        |
|       24 | Fast Track Special Court, Aluva                |
|       25 | Fast Track Special Court, North Paravur        |
|       26 | Fast Track Special Court, Kunnamkulam          |
|       27 | Fast Track Special Court, Thrissur**           |
|       28 | Fast Track Special Court, Irinjalakuda         |
|       29 | Fast Track Special Court-II, Thrissur          |
|       30 | Fast Track Special Court, Chalakudy            |
|       31 | Fast Track Special Court, Chavakkad            |
|       32 | Fast Track Special Court, Kodungallur          |
|       33 | Fast Track Special Court, Wadakkanchery        |
|       34 | Fast Track Special Court, Palakkad**           |
|       35 | Fast Track Special Court, Pattambi             |
|       36 | Fast Track Special Court, Alathur              |
|       37 | Fast Track Special Court, Perinthalmanna       |
|       38 | Fast Track Special Court, Tirur                |
|       39 | Fast Track Special Court, Manjeri**            |
|       40 | Fast Track Special Court-II, Manjeri           |
|       41 | Fast Track Special Court-II, Perinthalmanna    |
|       42 | Fast Track Special Court, Ponnani              |
|       43 | Fast Track Special Court, Parappanangadi       |

|   SI.No. | Judicial District   | Name of the Court                         |
|----------|---------------------|-------------------------------------------|
|       44 |                     | Fast Track Special Court, Nilambur        |
|       45 | Kozhikode           | Fast Track Special Court, Kozhikode**     |
|       46 | Kozhikode           | Fast Track Special Court, Koyilandy       |
|       47 | Kozhikode           | Fast Track Special Court, Nadapuram       |
|       48 | Kalpetta            | Fast Track Special Court, Kalpetta**      |
|       49 | Kalpetta            | Fast Track Special Court, Sulthan Bathery |
|       50 | Thalassery          | Fast Track Special Court, Thalassery**    |
|       51 | Thalassery          | Fast Track Special Court, Taliparamba     |
|       52 | Thalassery          | Fast Track Special Court, Kannur          |
|       53 | Thalassery          | Fast Track Special Court, Mattanur        |
|       54 | Kasaragod           | Fast Track Special Court, Hosdurg**       |
|       55 | Kasaragod           | Fast Track Special Court, Kasaragod       |