\Taking a strict stand against 'unnecessary adjournments' in cases related to sexual assault involving children, the Supreme Court on Tuesday issued a slew of directions to high courts across the country.
The apex court bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra directed all high courts to ensure that the cases of sexual assault of children to be fast-tracked and decided by special courts.
The Supreme Court also asked the high courts to instruct the trial courts not to grant unnecessary adjournments during the trial of cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Hearing a PIL filed by lawyer Alakh Alok Srivastava, the top court's bench which also included Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud, suggested that high courts may also constitute a committee of three judges to regulate and monitor the trials of sexual assault cases of children.
The Modi government had on April 21 approved the ordinance to provide stringent punishment, including death penalty, for those convicted of rape of girls below 12 years. The move came after a public outcry for award of death penalty to such sexual offenders, including the assaulters of an 8-year-old girl who was gang-raped and killed in Jammu and Kashmirs' Kathua district.
(With inputs from PTI)
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