There is often mention of fast track courts for heinous crimes in the country. The victim’s family also has a demand for hearing in a fast track court. Now fast track court is once again in discussion. Actually, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made a big announcement regarding paper leak cases. While tweeting on his X account, he said that the culprits involved in the paper leak will be given the strictest punishment. Fast track court will be formed to hear these cases.
Fast track court means a court which hears a case in the shortest possible time and gives its verdict. For the first time this type of court was established in the year 2000. Then it was started under the recommendations of the 11th Finance Commission. Its objective was to dispose of long pending cases and litigation in the district and subordinate courts as quickly as possible. These were run under the scheme till 2011. Then it was closed.
Then again the mention of fast track court came to light after the heinous Nirbhaya incident in Delhi. During that time, Delhi High Court had initially approved 5 fast track courts for speedy hearing of rape and sexual assault cases. Its number later increased to 6. The first of these special fast track courts was started on 2 January 2013 at the Saket Court complex in South Delhi. The Nirbhaya case started in this court. However, in the meanwhile, many states continued to run the fast track court system for heinous crimes with their own resources.
What decision did the Central Government take on Fast Track Court in 2019?
In 2018, the Nirbhaya Fund Committee of the Central Government had approved the proposal to set up 1,023 fast track special courts in the country. The Central Government implemented it in October 2019 under the Fast Track Special Court (FTSC) scheme following the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018 and the directions of the Supreme Court. The objective of the scheme is to give speedy verdict in pending cases of rape and POCSO Act and heinous cases.
Why was there a need to create a fast track court?
- It took years to get a verdict in serious cases like murder, rape and crimes against women and children.
- Reducing the burden of pending cases in courts is also a reason
- For immediate disposal of cases related to women and children.
- To strengthen people’s confidence in the justice system
How much budget has been allocated by the Central Government for Fast Track Court?
The central government had also allocated a budget of Rs 1,952.23 crore for the Fast Track Special Court (FTSC) scheme. In this, Rs 1,207.24 crore is being given through the Central Government under the Nibharya Fund. The remaining expenditure will be borne by the state government. Till now, ₹ 1,034.55 crore has been released by the central government to the states and union territories.
How many fast track courts are there in the country at present?
In response to a question during the 2025 monsoon session, the Central Government had said that by June 30, 2025, 725 fast track special courts have been created in 29 states and union territories of the country. Of these, 392 exclusive POCSO courts are included.Exclusive POCSO courts are fast track courts created for speedy trial of cases related to sexual offenses against children. Till now in fast track court 3,34,213 cases have been disposed of.
The government said that the average disposal rate of rape and POCSO cases in general courts is 3.26 cases per court per month. Whereas in Fast Track Special Court, this average is 9.51 cases per court per month. This means that the disposal of cases in these courts is almost three times faster than that of normal courts.
What cases are heard in fast track courts?
- rape
- sexual crimes against children
- serious crimes against women
- heinous crimes like murder
- Some special cases related to senior citizens
- long pending serious criminal cases
- Special cases identified by the State Government or the High Court
How many types of fast track courts are there?
General Fast Track Special Court: These courts hear cases related to both rape and POCSO Act simultaneously. It also aims to settle the case within 6 months to a year. However, due to negligence in investigation and unavailability of evidence, sometimes it takes more time than this.
Exclusive POCSO Fast Track Court: These special courts are dedicated solely to hearing POCSO Act cases. In this, the victimized children are given freedom to come to the court. Also, it is advised to take special care while recording their statements. The target to complete hearing in these cases is 6 months to one year
When has the fast track court given its verdict in record time?
- In April 2026, the Fast Track Special Court had given the verdict of life imprisonment to the accused who raped a 6-month-old innocent child in Gorakhpur within 24 days.
- The accused, who raped his minor niece in Itarsi, Madhya Pradesh during the year 2023, was sentenced to death in just 21 days.
- In April 2025, a 45-year-old man accused of raping a 16-year-old minor was sentenced to life imprisonment in Delhi.
- In June 2026, the accused of raping a three-year-old innocent child in Narsapur, Maharashtra was given life imprisonment within just 55 days.
Can the decision of the fast track court also be challenged?
There is no separate judicial system of Fast Track Special Court. Only those judges sit in them, who are appointed by the concerned High Court or State Government. Like normal courts, the same criminal sections of BNSS apply here also. The decisions of the fast track court can also be appealed in the high court like ordinary courts. The decision of the district level fast track court can be challenged in the High Court. The decision of the High Court level fast track court can be appealed in the Supreme Court.
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