Pune To Get 6 More POCSO Courts Amid Rising Child Sexual Abuse Cases

Last Updated:July 07, 2026, 13:21 IST

The Chief Minister acknowledged that cases involving child rape, sexual exploitation, and other offences under the POCSO Act require urgent attention

The Maharashtra government has announced that six additional Special POCSO Courts will be established in Pune to speed up the trial of cases involving child sexual abuse and reduce the growing pendency of cases.

The announcement was made by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly while responding to a question raised by MLA Shankar Jagtap regarding delays in the disposal of cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The Chief Minister acknowledged that cases involving child rape, sexual exploitation, and other offences under the POCSO Act require urgent attention.

However, he said delays occur due to several factors, including the need to record witness testimony, examination of victims, defence arguments, court procedures, shortage of judicial officers, and the increasing number of cases before courts.

To address the issue, the government has decided to strengthen the judicial infrastructure in Pune, one of the state’s busiest districts for POCSO cases.

Fadnavis informed the House that Pune currently has 28 courts, including three district courts and 25 subordinate courts. Of these, six Special POCSO Courts are already functioning.

Recognising the increasing workload, the High Court, through a notification dated July 23, 2025, approved the establishment of six additional Special POCSO Courts in Pune. These courts are now in the process of being made operational.

The Chief Minister also highlighted the Centre’s support through the National Mission for Safety of Women, under which judicial infrastructure for handling crimes against women and children has been strengthened across the country.

He said Maharashtra has already established 30 exclusive Special POCSO Courts and 104 designated Special Courts under the scheme. In Pune district alone, there is one exclusive Special Court and 24 designated Special Courts handling POCSO matters.

Fadnavis said the state government has accepted the High Court’s proposal and has initiated the recruitment process for the required judicial officers and supporting staff. The Law and Judiciary Department is coordinating with the High Court to ensure the new courts become functional at the earliest.

The government expressed confidence that the additional courts will significantly reduce the backlog of pending POCSO cases, ensure faster trials, and provide timely justice to child victims while strengthening the state’s response to crimes against children.

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Mayuresh Ganapatye

Mayuresh Ganapatye, News Editor at News18.com, writes on politics and civic issues, as well as human interests stories. He has been covering Maharashtra and Goa for more than a decade. Follow him at @...Read More

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