The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to establish special courts to try offences against women filed under IPC sections 376 (rape) and 354 (assault or criminal force to women with intent to outrage her modesty).
The special courts will be set up in the cadre of additional district and sessions judge for taking up trial of offences against women. The decision comes in the light of the High Court identifying 13 fast track courts for conversion as special courts.
Accordingly, the government has announced conversion of eight fast track courts headed by additional district and session judge at Anantapur, East Godavari, Guntur, Krishna, Prakasam, Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam and West Godavari districts as special courts for trial of offences against women. In addition, fast track courts designated for four districts and functioning from other districts will be shifted to respective districts.
The fast track court for YSR Kadapa district functioning at Guntur, FTC of Kurnool functioning at Ongole in Prakasam, FTC of Nellore operating at Narsapur in West Godavari and FTC of Vizianagaram operating at Kakinada in East Godavari will be shifted to the respective districts.
The fast track court at Tirupati will be shifted to Chittoor for functioning as special court for entire Chittoor district.
Similarly, the special courts in Visakhapatnam and Krishna districts will be redesignated as additional district sessions judges-cum-additional metropolitan sessions courts- cum-special courts for trial of offences against women. This would enable them to deal with cases relating to the metropolitan areas also in the respective districts.
