GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2281

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 22ND MARCH, 2017 / CHAITRA 1, 1939 (SAKA)

HIGH ACQUITTAL RATE FOR CASES UNDER POCSO ACT

2281. SHRI RAJEEV CHANDRASEKHAR:

Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a) whether Government is aware of the high acquittal rate for cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act;

(b) if so, the reasons for the high acquittal rate; and

(c) the measures taken to address those issues?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS
(SHRI HANSRAJ GANGARAM AHIR)

(a) To (c) : As per information provided by National Crime Records Bureau (N.C.R.B), the data under the Protection

of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 has been stated since 2014. As per available information, out of

406 cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 of the trials completed by the

courts during 2014, a total of 306 cases were acquitted and 100 cases were convicted. Similarly, out of 2049 cases in

which trials were completed by the courts during 2015, a total of 1191 cases were acquitted and 858 cases were

convicted.

As per the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India, “Police” and “Public Order” are State subjects and, as such

the primary responsibility of prevention, detection, registration, investigation and prosecution of crime lies with the

States/UT Administrations.

******