Report flags rise in POCSO case disposals, notes persistent backlog

By A Representative

A recent study has claimed that India disposed of more cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in 2025 than were registered during the same year, marking what the authors describe as a significant shift in case management within the justice system. According to the report, titled “Pendency to Protection: Achieving the Tipping Point to Justice for Child Victims of Sexual Abuse”, 80,320 POCSO cases were registered in 2025, while 87,754 cases were disposed of, resulting in a disposal rate of 109 percent.

The study, conducted by the Centre for Legal Action and Behaviour Change (C-LAB) for Children, an initiative of India Child Protection, has characterised this development as a “tipping point” where the judicial system, in its assessment, begins to reduce rather than merely manage backlog. The report further claims that 24 states recorded disposal rates exceeding 100 percent during the year, indicating that these states disposed of not only newly registered cases but also some from previous years.

The report states that India’s total backlog of POCSO cases stood at 2,62,089 as of 2023. It argues that sustaining disposal rates above 100 percent could gradually reduce this pendency. As part of its recommendations, the study proposes the establishment of 600 additional e-POCSO courts, which it claims could eliminate the entire backlog within four years. It estimates the required expenditure at approximately ₹1,977 crore over four years and suggests that resources from the Nirbhaya Fund could be utilised for this purpose.

At the same time, the report flags several concerns, including the duration for which cases remain unresolved. It says that nearly half of all pending POCSO cases have been unresolved for more than two years, and that conviction rates continue to fluctuate across states. The report highlights inter-state disparities, stating that Uttar Pradesh accounts for 37 percent of cases pending for more than five years, followed by Maharashtra at 24 percent and West Bengal at 11 percent. Together, these three states are said to account for nearly three-fourths of long-pending cases exceeding five years.

Commenting on the findings, Purujit Praharaj, Director (Research) at India Child Protection, said that disposing of more cases than those registered reflects a shift from intent to measurable outcomes. He stated that prolonged delays intensify trauma for child survivors and emphasised the need to sustain higher disposal rates to ensure timely, child-centred justice.

The report also notes variations in performance among states and Union Territories. It claims that seven states and Union Territories recorded disposal rates above 150 percent, seven others between 121 and 150 percent, and 10 states between 100 and 120 percent. According to the study, these figures indicate that pendency often accumulates early in a case’s lifecycle and that systemic challenges persist in moving cases forward within expected timelines.

In addition to infrastructure expansion, the report recommends year-on-year disposal rates above 100 percent across all states and Union Territories, targeted technical and administrative support for lagging judicial systems, and closer monitoring of conviction and acquittal trends. It also advocates the use of AI-based legal research and document management tools to improve case analysis and efficiency.

The study is based on data, as of December 2, 2025, drawn from the National Judicial Data Grid, the National Crime Records Bureau, and responses to questions raised in the Lok Sabha.

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