Bhubaneswar: In a bid to disposal of cases of rape and other sexual offences against children in a time-bound manner, the Odisha Government will set up 24 Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) in the State.It has been informed by Odisha Law Minister Pratap Jena here today.
He said that the FTSCs will work under an additional district judge as per the Odisha Civil Courts Act 1984.
The courts will be established in Angul, Balasore, Bhadrak, Bargarh, Bolangir, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Berhampur, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Jharsuguda, Bhawanipatna, Kendrapara, Keonjhar, Khurda, Jeypore, Baripada, Nabarangpur, Nayagarh, Phulbani, Puri, Rayagada, Sambalpur and Sundargarh districts, the Minister said.
The special courts will hear cases related to the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and ensure speedy trial, he added.
The decision comes in the wake of the Supreme Court’s direction to the Union government to set up special courts in those districts where more than 100 cases of sexual offences against children are pending.