Gandhinagar, Oct 19 (IANS) Special courts in Gujarat delivered 1,785 verdicts in cases registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act between 2022 and August 2026, with 908 offenders sentenced to life imprisonment and 16 sentenced to death, according to figures shared by the state authorities.
The figures highlight the role of prosecution and the pace of investigations in securing convictions in cases involving sexual offences against children.
The state police said special public prosecutors are appointed in serious cases when district or city units consider their involvement necessary.
“The appointment of special public prosecutors is the most important factor behind the punishments being awarded in POCSO cases in Gujarat,” Deputy Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Makarand Chauhan said.
“If a city unit or district unit considers cases registered under various sections of POCSO to be very serious, a proposal is sent to the State Police Headquarters for the appointment of a special public prosecutor in those cases,” he said.
The annual figures show an increase in the number of verdicts and life sentences. In 2022, POCSO courts delivered 194 verdicts and sentenced 107 accused persons to life imprisonment.
In 2025, the courts delivered 499 verdicts, with 340 accused persons receiving life sentences. Between January and August this year, the courts delivered 346 verdicts and sentenced 241 accused persons to life imprisonment.
In August alone, verdicts were delivered in 48 POCSO cases, with 35 accused persons sentenced to life imprisonment. Prompt filing of charge sheets and speedy trials are also important to the prosecution of these cases.
“If the charge sheet is not filed within the stipulated time, there is a possibility of the accused getting default bail. Therefore, filing the charge sheet promptly is extremely important. Along with an early charge sheet, a speedy trial is also necessary because, as time passes, there may be changes in a witness’s memory and statements,” said Nayan Sukhadiwala, a government lawyer at the District and Sessions Court in Surat.
The state is also monitoring the time taken by police to complete investigations and submit charge sheets.
Figures for the five years show that charge sheets were filed within one to 15 days in 140 POCSO offences, while investigations were completed within 16 to 30 days in 1,339 cases.
In another 5,463 cases, charge sheets were filed within 31 to 45 days.
The authorities attribute the prosecution of POCSO cases to coordination between the police and prosecutors, alongside the appointment of special public prosecutors in serious cases.
–IANS
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