No decision yet on proposal for 14 courts to check pendency
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Aug 31: After setting up four more Women Police Stations, Mehbooba Mufti-led Coalition Government is all set to establish four fast-track courts to deal exclusively with the cases of extreme violence and other offences against womenfolk and proposal in this regard will be cleared by the State Cabinet shortly. However, no decision has yet been taken on the requirement of 14 more courts projected by the State High Court nearly three years back to deal with pendency of other cases.
The requirement of establishment of fast-track courts to expeditiously dispose of cases involving different offences against women was felt across the country following dastardly gang-rape of a 23 year old girl in a moving bus in National Capital in December 2012 and Supreme Court had issued explicit directions in this regard to all the States.
While several States in the country acted promptly on the directions of Apex Court, J&K maintained slack approach despite being aware of the fact that offences against women were increasing continuously albeit not at alarming rate.
“Finally, the Finance Department has conveyed its concurrence to the Law Department for establishment of four fast-track courts—two each in Kashmir and Jammu divisions to deal with cases of violence and other offences against women”, official sources told EXCELSIOR, adding “this decision has been taken after analyzing the data vis-à-vis cases of offences against womenfolk pending disposal in the State”.
Now, the Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs will place the proposal and concurrence of the Finance Department before the State Cabinet for its approval, which is likely in near future. Thereafter, the Law Department in consultation with the High Court will decide the location of these courts, sources said while disclosing that with these four courts the number of courts handling the cases involving offences against women will go up considerably as some courts of First Additional District Judges were designated as fast-track courts soon after the directions from the Supreme Court.
This would be the second major decision of the Mehbooba Mufti-led Coalition Government for the women affected by various offences like rape, kidnapping and molestation etc as in the month of April this year the State Cabinet had accorded sanction to the creation of four more Women Police Stations—one each in districts of Anantnag, Baramulla, Rajouri and Udhampur.
The creation of these Women Police Stations was aimed at enabling the womenfolk to report offences and bring visibility of women at the level of public interface especially in situations where aggrieved women intend to seek redressal of their grievances in an empathetic environment with an institutional support.
However, sources said that Finance Department has yet not taken any decision with regard to establishment of 14 more courts of District and Sessions Judges and Civil Judges (Senior Division) the requirement of which was projected by the High Court nearly three years back.
“While giving concurrence for establishment of four fast track courts to exclusively deal with cases involving offences against women the Finance Department has remained silent on requirement of 14 more courts”, sources informed.
In the proposal of the High Court, which was even endorsed by the Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, it was specifically mentioned that establishment of more courts of the rank of District and Sessions Judges and Civil Judges (Senior Division) was required to ensure speedy disposal of the cases, the thrust on which is being laid by the judiciary across the country, sources informed.
“The inordinate delay on the part of State Government is notwithstanding the fact that assurances were extended by the previous as well as sitting Law Minister about early clearance of the proposal that too on the floor of the State Legislative Assembly/ Council a number of times”, sources said, adding “it is a matter of serious concern that while State Government acknowledges that huge pendency of the cases is depriving litigants of timely justice but on the other hand it has preferred to remain silent on proposal about establishment of 14 courts”.
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