New Delhi: Even as Indian law provides for rape cases to be completed within a year through fast-track courts, there has been a sharp increase in pendency of such cases. According to the data taken from different high courts, and subsequently released by the Union law ministry, the pendency of such cases has increased by more than 46% across the country since March 2018.

Delhi has topped the list and has registered a whopping 353% increase in pending rape cases. However, in absolute terms, the number of pending cases in Uttar Pradesh is the highest – from 36,000 to 67,000 between March 2018 and December 2019. Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have also registered very high number of pending rape cases.

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UP and MP showed an 80% increase in such cases. A cumulative national picture is also quite abysmal. Pending rape cases and those related to Protection of Children Against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act between the same period increased by over 77,000 – from 1,66,882 to 2,44,001.

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