LexIN RE : ALARMING RISE IN THE NUMBER OF REPORTED CHILD RAPE INCIDENTS versus
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[2025] 5 S.C.R. 1047 : 2025 INSC 695 In Re : Alarming Rise in the Number of Reported Child Rape Incidents (Suo Moto Writ Petition (Criminal) No. 1 of 2019) 15 May 2025 [Bela M. Trivedi* and Prasanna B. Varale, JJ.] Issue for Consideration Matter pertains to suo moto cognizance taken by this Court in child rape cases; and directions to Union and States Government to set up Special POCSO Courts on top priority, and timeline compliances. Headnotes† Protection of Children against Sexual Offences Act, 2012 – Child rape cases – Alarming increase in number of reported child rape incidents in view of various news reports – Suo- moto cognizance by this Court – Issuance of directions for setting up of special courts exclusively designated for trying offences under the POCSO – Subsequently, directions issued from time to time calling upon the States and the High Courts to furnish information – Submissions of report showing status of POCSO cases pending in courts: Held: Majority of the States with the funding from Central government have complied with the directions issued by the Court for setting up exclusive courts for POCSO cases, however in certain states-Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Orissa, Maharashtra, there is still need to create more POCSO courts considering the pendency of POCSO cases – Timelines stipulated under POCSO Act for all stages must be adhered to as far as possible – Because of inadequacy of exclusive courts for POCSO cases, timelines mandated in the Act are not being maintained – Union of India and State Governments to take appropriate steps to sensitize the officials associated with investigation of POCSO cases, and also to create dedicated courts to try POCSO cases on top priority basis, and to see to it that chargesheets are filed within the mandatory period stipulated in the Act, and trials are completed within the time frame as contemplated in the Act. [Paras 5, 6] * Author 1048 [2025] 5 S.C.R. Supreme Court Reports List of Acts Constitution of India; Protection of Children against Sexual Offences Act, 2012. List of Keywords Suo-moto cognizance; Child rape incidents; Reported child rape incidents; Special courts for offences under POCSO Act; Directions issued by this Court; Status of POCSO cases pending in POCSO courts; Timelines stipulated under POCSO Act; Inadequacy of exclusive courts for POCSO cases; Sensitisation of officials associated with investigation of POCSO cases. Case Arising From CRIMINAL ORIGINAL JURISDICTION: Suo Motu Writ Petition (Criminal) No. 1 of 2019 (Under Article 32 of The Constitution of India) With C.A. No. 7968 of 2019 Appearances for Parties By Courts Motion. Advs. for the Petitioners: Aakarsh Kamra, Shikhar Goel, Pranav Sachdeva, Abhaid Parikh. Advs. for the Respondents: Aishwarya Bhati, A.S.G., Shiv Mangal Sharma, A.A.G., V. Giri, Ms. Uttara Babbar, P.N. Ravindran, Ms. Uttara Babbar, Sr. Advs., Krishna Dev Jagarlamudi, Ms. Disha Singh, Ms. Eliza Bar, Ms. Diksha Rai, Ms. Purvat Wali, Manish Kumar, Kumar Saurav, M/s. Plr Chambers And Co., Ms. Ankita Sharma, Arjun D Singh, Surjendu Sankar Das, Ms. Aarushi Singh, Anil Shrivastav, Karan Kapur, Abhishek Gautam, Ms. Aswathi M.K., Ms. Tulika Mukherjee, Rajiv Shanker Dvivedi, Vishal Prasad, V. N. Raghupathy, Raghavendra M. Kulkarni, Ms. Deepanwita Priyanka, Prashant Bhagwati, Sanjay Kumar Visen, Vinod Sharma, Varad Kilor, Aaditya Aniruddha Pande, Pukhrambam Ramesh Kumar, Karun Sharma, Avijit Mani Tripathi, T.K. Nayak, Ms. Astha Sharma, Sunny Choudhary, Ms. K. Enatoli Sema, Suvendu Suvasis Dash, Ms. Nupur Kumar, Milind Kumar, Anando Mukherjee, Narendra Kumar, Sabarish Subramanian, Shibashish Misra, Ms. Ruchira Goel, Akshat Kumar, Ajay Kumar Bahuguna, M. Yogesh [2025] 5 S.C.R. 1049 In Re : Alarming Rise in the Number of Reported Child Rape Incidents Kanna, Kunal Mimani, Prashant, Sravan Kumar Karanam, Rajiv Kumar Choudhry, Ms. G. Indira, Raj Bahadur Yadav, Vinay Arora, Shubhranshu Padhi, Kunal Chatterji, Maitrayee Banerjee, Guntur Prabhakar, Ms. Hemantika Wahi, Gopal Prasad, Ranjan Mukherjee, Ms. Jaspreet Gogia, K. V. Vijayakumar, Gopal Singh, M/s. Parekh & Co., Ms. G. Indira, Pukhrambam Ramesh Kumar, Akshai Malik, Nikhil Jain, Guntur Pramod Kumar, Abhimanyu Tewari, Ms. Radhika Gautam, Ms. Tulika Mukherjee, Rajat Nair, Arvind Kumar Sharma, Sameer Abhyankar, Mahfooz Ahsan Nazki, M. Yogesh Kanna, Renjith B. Marar, Ms. Lakshmi N. Kaimal, Varad Kilor, Aaditya Ani
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