Delayed Justice for Victims in Pune

Growing Number of Cases

There are around 4,000 cases of child and minor abuse in Pune, with 3,600 of them occurring in the city. However, only one judge is available to manage these cases, as the second judge retired last April and the position remains vacant. Santosh Khamkar, president of the Pune Bar Association, highlighted this issue.

Statewide Issues

The situation is similar throughout the state, where fast-track and POCSO courts are facing backlogs. Cases like the Badlapur incident and others, such as the Naina Pujari and Jyoti Kumari Chaudhary murder cases, have not seen any punishment for the accused yet. For the public to trust the justice system, these cases need to be processed quickly, and the sentences must be enforced. Only then can we hope to prevent incidents like those in Badlapur.

Need for New Court Facilities

Victims and their families are struggling for years to get justice. This delay adds a second layer of suffering caused by the system. Instead of healing from their trauma, families are becoming more hopeless due to these delays. To change this, it is essential to complete the new building for courts handling POCSO cases as soon as possible.