TN Assembly Approves 17 Special Pocso Courts Costing ₹25 Crore to Clear Backlog

Law Minister R Nirmalkumar announced in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly on Friday that the state government will establish 17 new special courts for the exclusive trial of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) cases at an estimated cost of ₹25 crore.

The decision was taken in view of the massive backlog of pending cases across the state. Under the plan, Madurai district will get two of the new special courts, while the remaining courts will be distributed across Chengalpet, Coimbatore, Cuddalore, Dharmapuri, Dindigul, Erode, Kallakurichi, Kanyakumari, Krishnagiri, Salem, Tiruvallur, and Tirunelveli districts. Additionally, three more Pocso courts will be established in Ariyalur, Perambalur, and Pudukkottai at a total cost of ₹5.41 crore.

The announcement comes after the state police recently informed the Madras High Court that 18,518 Pocso cases were pending trial in Tamil Nadu. The police submission highlighted that 10,202 of these cases had been pending for more than a year, while also pointing out that 20 districts in the state currently lacked exclusive Pocso courts to handle the volume of trials.

Alongside the child protection measures, Nirmalkumar outlined steps to strengthen judicial infrastructure for other offences. He announced that three special courts will be set up in Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, and Vellore, alongside one court in Chennai, dedicated exclusively to trying cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

In addition, a dedicated SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act Special Court will be established in Erode at an outlay of ₹1.93 crore. The minister also stated that the state government will create an AI-powered legal repository as well as a state advisory board to address crimes against women, children, and drug abuse.