Fast-track courts to deal with sexual assault cases

Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T.B. Jayachandra on Tuesday said the government would set up fast-track courts in all districts for speedy trial of sexual assaults on women and girl children. Two such courts are already functional in Bengaluru, he said.

Speaking to presspersons here, Mr. Jayachandra said 1,292 cases of rape, sexual assault and murder are pending trial in the State and would be disposed of within a year.

He said the State government has recommended to the Centre to amend the Indian Penal Code for providing capital punishment for rape.

On the low rates of conviction in sexual assault cases, Mr. Jayachandra said cases get prolonged and result in acquittal mainly due to witnesses turning hostile.

As such, the government is taking steps to complete the trial within a year providing lesser chances of witnesses turning hostile.

The government has also taken steps to create awareness about dignity of girls and women. The Information and Public Relations Departments were periodically releasing campaign material about this as well as deterrent punishment for offences, he said.

Arecanut ban

To a question on arecanut, Mr. Jayachandra said the government was not favouring a ban on arecanut and that has been made clear before the Supreme Court.

On the proposal to ban chewing tobacco, the Minister said the government would ensure that the interests of arecanut growers was not affected.

If a decision to ban chewing tobacco was taken by the Union government, it has to be welcomed in the interest of people, he said.

In a separate release, the CAMPCO here said its president Konkodi Padmanabha met Mr. Jayachandra and apprised him of the concerns of arecanut growers in the event of ban on chewing tobacco.

The Minister reportedly assured the CAMPCO that the decision to ban tobacco would be taken only after ensuring that interests of arecanut growers was not affected. As such, arecanut growers need not worry about ban on tobacco, Mr. Padmanabha said in the release.

District in-charge Minister B. Ramanath Rai, District Congress president (in-charge) Ibrahim Kodijal, MLC Ivan D’Souza and other leaders were present.