Karnataka HC slams ‘adjournment culture’ as trial in POCSO case remains pending for 12 years
The Karnataka High Court has criticized the 'adjournment culture' in the judiciary after a 2014 POCSO case remained unresolved for 12 years. The court ordered the fast-track special court to conclude the trial within eight weeks, emphasizing the need for timely justice in sexual assault cases.
Why it matters
This highlights systemic delays in the Indian judicial system and reinforces the legal mandate for the expeditious trial of crimes against children.
The High Court of Karnataka has deprecated the “culture of repeated adjournments” in criminal trials, expressing shock that a 2014 case involving the sexual assault of a six-year-old girl at a Bengaluru school remains pending even after 12 years.
Noting that the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, mandates expeditious trials, preferably within one year from the date of taking cognisance, the High Court directed the Bengaluru Rural Fast Track Special Court (FTSC-II) for POCSO cases to conclude the criminal proceedings within eight weeks.
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