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| Inconsistency in hearing of rape cases in J&K | | Most of the cases moving at snail's pace | | 
Early Times Report
Jammu, June 12: There's inconsistency on part of J&K government to prioritise rape cases in the courts, as most of the cases are moving at a snail's face whereas some selective cases have been fast-tracked on the recommendation of the government.
According to sources in the High Court, it has come to fore that in the fast track court established at Jammu over 150 cases have been pending. The cases taken by fast track court comprised of rape-cases, terrorism related, Unlawful provision Act cases.
"Though the rape cases of Jammu district have also been taken by fast track court of Jammu, all other rape cases pending in various districts and tehsil headquarters of state have been pending at various courts," a lawyer wishing anonymity said, adding that no fast track courts have been established in the courts of the state.
Sources said that it depends on the government to fast track any case or not. But so far only some of selective cases have been fast tracked by the government, whereas many of the rape cases of serious nature, pending in various districts and tehsil headquarters have been pending for the last many years.
Crime against women is on the rise in Jammu and Kashmir. In 2017, hundreds of cases were registered in different police stations across state; it means one rape was committed every day. The women folk of J&K state are not safe like other parts of the country. Though the rate of disposal of such cases by the courts is not up to the desired level, as a result more than thousands cases are still pending.
Some fast track court set up in 2017 to deal exclusively with the cases of violence and other offences against women are non-functional due to shortage of judges.
Another lawyer said that the statistical data reveals that 2210 rape case were pending for disposal in various courts since April 2018. Most of the rape cases were pending from Kashmir division.
"Out of 2210, 1575 rape cases are pending in various district of Kashmir division, while 617 cases are pending in Jammu division", the lawyer said, adding that no seriousness has been shown towards making operational fast track courts which were created last year.
"To make these courts functional the High Court will have to either order promotion of sub-judges or resort to direct recruitment by conducting competitive examination", the lawyer said, adding that recently the High Court advertised 42 posts of Munsif. He hoped that the government has set up fast track court in each district, so that pending rape cases will be disposed of without further delay.
Partap Singh-State Secretary Young Panthers said Justice delayed is justice denied the phrase seems fit in most of the rape cases of the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) where scores of cases are pending in police station and courts. And trials of all the rape cases should be fast tracked.
Sunil Kumar, a social activist while talking to Early Times said that to curb such a heinous crime there is dire need to put on fast track all the pending cases of rapes.
Advocate Jyoti Choudhary said that most of the rape cases are pending just because of negligence of the investigation agencies. Notably, as per the guidelines of Supreme Court and the Centre, trials of all the rape cases should be fast tracked and special fast track courts msut be constituted.
Abhinandan Sharma, a student of Jammu University, strongly advocated fast track trial of rape cases and said rape is a blot on the society and to provide justice to the victims there should be fast track trial for all the pending rape cases.
Rahul Kumar, a social worker, said that pendency in rape cases can only be cleared through fast track trial of the cases as delay in trials brings down the moral of the victims while it can also encourage the culprits. |
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