Consultation on Pocso Act underway

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Prasanna B inaugurated a Statelevel stakeholders’ consultation on implementation of Pocso Act 2012. The Juvenile Justice Committee and High Court of Karnataka, in association with several organisations, have organised the consultation in order to review the 10-year-old act and ensure its effective implementation.

Speaking at the event, Dr Rajaneesh Goel, additional chief secretary to the home department, said, “We have ensured that not only special courts are set up, but the design of the courts is also done in a way that safeguards the privacy and security of the child. In addition, we have now appointed special public prosecutors to ensure the most meticulous candidates are there to take up these cases.”

He also added that the FSL (Forensic Science Laboratories) labs are being strengthened while the police officials are being trained to tackle the loopholes that come in the way of investigation. However, he pointed out that speedy justice is not being delivered in many cases.

“While we have seen examples of speedy justice, we must find out why it is not happening in all the cases – we must find out what is plaguing the system,” he said and promised to implement the outcomes of the consultation with all seriousness. The Child Protection Act was enacted on November 14, 2012 to prevent such sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children.