Punjab & Haryana High Court Chief Justice A. K. Sikri on Friday issued directions to all courts in Punjab and Haryana as well as the Union Territory of Chandigarh to ensure day-to-day proceedings in cases of heinous crimes against women.
According to a spokesman of the High Court, Justice Sikri had ordered that at least eight courts in Punjab and 11 in Haryana would be designated as “fast track courts” for trials in such cases. The High Court has also written to all District and Sessions Courts within its jurisdiction to organise meetings of different stakeholders including judicial officers, public prosecutors, police and representatives from the Bar to sensitise them about gravity of such cases where justice has to be speeded up.
The Chief Justice is said to have asked the respective State governments to sanction 20 posts in Punjab and 21 in Haryana of superior judicial services for the fast track courts.
The spokesman disclosed that much before the Delhi gang-rape case the High Court had issued instructions to speed up disposal of cases of crime against women. Acting on its directions last October, various courts in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh had disposed of 204 of the 1,830 cases pending before them.
On Thursday, a trial court in Hoshiarpur district laid down a unique precedent by disposing of a rape case within nine days of the challan.
