Day-to-day trial ordered in Punjab, Haryana courts for crimes against women

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Chandigarh, Jan 11: Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice A.K. Sikri has directed courts in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh to conduct proceedings in all pending sessions trials involving heinous crimes against women on day-to-day basis.

A spokesman said here Friday that the chief justice has issued directions to all the district and sessions judges in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh, to fast-track proceedings in all cases of heinous crimes against women.

Sikri has also ordered designating eight courts in Punjab and 11 in Haryana as fast- track courts for the trial of cases of heinous crimes against women.

“All the district and sessions judges in the states of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh have further been directed to monitor the completion of commitment proceedings (challan) within 10 days of the receipt of final report and they have also been instructed to hold meeting with all the stake-holders i.e. judicial officers, public prosecutors, police and representatives of the bar to sensitize them about the seriousness of the issue,” the spokesman said.

He added that even before the Dec 16 Delhi gang-rape, the high court had put such cases on fast-track through instructions issued Oct 15 last year.

“In compliance thereof, as many as 204 out of total 1,830 cases pending in the states of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh have already been disposed of,” he added.

The chief justice has taken up the matter with the concerned state governments for sanction of 20 posts in Punjab and 21 in Haryana of superior judicial service for setting up exclusive/special courts, preferably one in each district, to fast-track the trial of cases involving heinous crimes against women.

On Thursday, a court in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur town had convicted and sentenced the rapist of a minor girl to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment within nine days of the charge-sheet being filed in the court.

IANS