Crime
Gujarat courts deliver 1,785 POCSO verdicts in five years; 908 get life term
Gandhinagar, Sep 10: Gujarat courts have delivered 1,785 verdicts in cases registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act between 2022 and August 2026, with 908 accused sentenced to life imprisonment and 16 handed death sentences, according to figures released by the state government.
The pace of proceedings has also strengthened, with police filing chargesheets in most POCSO cases within 45 days and fast-track courts taking up cases for early trial.
In one recent case in Kalol, a Special POCSO Court sentenced a 42-year-old man to imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life within 72 hours of the police filing the chargesheet in connection with the alleged abduction and sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl.
The number of judgments rose from 194 in 2022 to 499 in 2025. In the first eight months of 2026, courts have already delivered 346 judgments, including 241 life sentences and two death sentences.
Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi said the state had adopted a “zero-tolerance” approach towards sexual offences against children and is working to ensure that victims and their families did not have to wait for years for justice.
“There can be no mercy or leniency for anyone who casts an evil eye on girls in Gujarat. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, the state government has established fast-track courts and a robust legal framework for POCSO cases. As a result, victims and their families are now receiving speedy justice—not in months or years, but within a matter of days,” Sanghavi said.
Referring to the Kalol case, he said the verdict within 72 hours of the filing of the chargesheet reflected the quality of investigation by the Gujarat Police and the approach of the judiciary.
“Reaching a verdict within just 72 hours of the filing of a chargesheet is the result of the excellent and scientific investigation carried out by the Gujarat Police and the strict and commendable approach of the judiciary. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the Gujarat Police and the judiciary. Our clear resolve is to ensure that such offenders receive the strictest possible punishment, setting a strong example for society,” he said.
Director General of Police (DGP), G.S. Malik, said investigations into POCSO cases are being conducted with sensitivity while maintaining speed and strictness.
“To ensure speedy justice for victims and their families, the police are particularly focussing on a three-pronged approach of ‘thorough investigation, strict action and speedy justice’ during the investigation process,” Malik said.
According to the police, each POCSO case is being monitored to ensure that chargesheets are filed promptly and cases are transferred to fast-track courts without unnecessary delay.
Over the past five years, chargesheets were filed within one to 15 days in 140 POCSO cases, while investigations were completed within 16 to 30 days in 1,339 cases.
Another 5,463 cases saw chargesheets filed within 31 to 45 days.
The figures indicate that a large majority of POCSO investigations are being completed within the 45-day period, allowing trials to commence sooner and courts to decide cases at a faster pace.
Crime
12 injured in attack on Dalit family in Patna, two critical

At least 12 members of a Dalit family were injured, including two who suffered stab wounds, in an alleged attack following a dispute during an idol immersion procession in Bihar’s Phulwari Sharif area, police said on Thursday.
The incident took place in the Ishopur locality, where a group of around 25 people, allegedly led by Sanjay Yadav, entered the house of Ramkumar Chaudhary and attacked family members with sticks, clubs and knives.
The condition of Ramkumar Chaudhary and Pankaj Kumar was reported to be critical and both are undergoing treatment at AIIMS, Patna.
The other injured were identified as Aman, Riya Kumari, Bahadur Chaudhary, Lalmuni Devi, Pankaj Chaudhary, Ankit, Aarti Devi, Ajay Chaudhary, Deepak and Anil. They were taken to hospitals for treatment.
A video purportedly showing the assault, including the use of knives on the street, has also surfaced.
However, its authenticity and the complete sequence of events are yet to be established through an investigation.
According to local residents, police personnel from the nearby Ishopur police outpost reached the spot after hearing the commotion and attempted to intervene.
The officers were allegedly attacked by the assailants, leaving several police personnel injured.
Additional police forces were subsequently deployed, and the situation was brought under control.
The victims alleged that the attack stemmed from a longstanding dispute between the two families and claimed that similar incidents had occurred in the past.
However, the precise cause of the dispute and the circumstances leading to Thursday’s violence have not been officially established.
Police have detained two people in connection with the incident, while efforts are underway to trace other suspects.
Investigators are examining the circumstances surrounding the clash, the alleged assault on the family and the reported attack on police personnel.
Tension continued to prevail in the locality following the incident, while the injured remained under medical care and police pursued further legal action.
Crime
Jantar Mantar protest: Saurav Das, Ranka, Shinde seek more time to appear before police

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka and Ajinkya Shinde have sought more time to appear before the Delhi Police Crime Branch for questioning.
Das, Ranka, and Shinde were asked to appear before the Delhi Police Crime Branch at its office in Rajouri Garden at noon on Thursday. However, they requested more time from the Delhi Police.
The police will now issue fresh summons to them.
This comes a day after Das and Ranka were released from Tihar Jail following a week in judicial custody.
Earlier this week, Delhi Police transferred protest cases against the CJP leaders to the Crime Branch.
The cases are in connection with the incident on October 13, when Das, Ranka and Shinde, along with 11 others, trespassed into Jantar Mantar, which has been de-notified as the designated protesting site.
All were detained by the Delhi Police. While Shinde was released on bail bond, Das and Ranka remained in judicial custody for a week.
The CJP members were protesting against alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and raised slogans against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
Das and Ranka were released on Wednesday after submitting written undertakings before a Special Executive Magistrate (SEM), assuring that they would maintain peace and refrain from calling for protests at Jantar Mantar until the site is de-notified in accordance with law.
SEM Ritu Raj directed the release of the two activists after they furnished personal bonds and surety bonds of Rs 50,000 each until the conclusion of the inquiry in connection with the Jantar Mantar trespassing case.
In their written undertakings, both activists promised not to commit any breach of peace and expressed full faith in the judiciary and all its instruments, including the SEM court.
The SEM court observed that the immediate measures required under Section 135(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) to prevent a breach of peace or disturbance of public tranquillity could be adequately secured through the execution of bonds, supported by the written undertakings.
Crime
Delhi Police arrests supplier of banned firecrackers, recovers 57.8 kg from his possession

The Anti-Auto Theft Squad (AATS) of Delhi Police’s North-East District has apprehended a supplier of banned firecrackers and recovered 57.8 kg of the prohibited material from his possession, police said on Thursday.
The accused, identified as Vishal (35), a resident of Ashok Nagar in Delhi, was apprehended on October 21 following a targeted operation to curb the illegal supply of banned firecrackers in the district.
According to the police, the operation was conducted on the directions of senior officers by an AATS team led by Inspector Deepak Pandey, in-charge of AATS, North-East District. Acting on secret information, the team laid a trap in the Ashok Nagar area and apprehended the accused while he was carrying multiple sacks containing banned firecrackers weighing 57.8 kg.
Following the recovery, a case was registered under FIR No. 466/26, dated October 21, at Jyoti Nagar police station under Section 223(b) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 9B of the Explosives Act. An investigation into the matter has been initiated.
Police said the accused had previously been involved in three criminal cases registered under Sections 188 and 286 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Sections 223(A) and 288 of the BNS, and Sections 115(2), 126(2) and 3(5) of the BNS.
In a separate incident earlier this month, a joint team of the Delhi Police’s Anti-Auto Theft Squad and Harsh Vihar police station uncovered an illegal storage facility for firecrackers in Mandoli village and recovered 567.30 kg of firecrackers and related material. One person was apprehended in connection with the case, police said on Wednesday.
According to the police, the incident came to light on October 12 when a police team conducting area patrol received information about firecrackers being stored at a premises in Mandoli. The information was immediately shared with Harsh Vihar police station, following which a team reached the location.
At the premises, located on the first floor of a house in Gali No. 12, near Government Senior Secondary School in Mandoli, police found a large quantity of firecrackers and materials used in their manufacture stored in cartons and sacks.
The recovered material was inspected, weighed, sampled and seized following the prescribed procedure.
An FIR (No. 315/2026) was subsequently registered at Harsh Vihar police station under Section 288 of the BNS and Section 9B of the Explosives Act, 1884.
-
Crime4 years agoClass 10 student jumps to death in Jaipur
-
Maharashtra2 years agoMumbai Local Train Update: Central Railway’s New Timetable Comes Into Effect; Check Full List Of Revised Timings & Stations
-
Maharashtra2 years agoMumbai To Go Toll-Free Tonight! Maharashtra Govt Announces Complete Toll Waiver For Light Motor Vehicles At All 5 Entry Points Of City
-
Maharashtra2 years agoFalse photo of Imtiaz Jaleel’s rally, exposing the fooling conspiracy
-
National News2 years agoMinistry of Railways rolls out Special Drive 4.0 with focus on digitisation, cleanliness, inclusiveness and grievance redressal
-
Maharashtra2 years agoMaharashtra Elections 2024: Mumbai Metro & BEST Services Extended Till Midnight On Voting Day
-
National News2 years agoJ&K: 4 Jawans Killed, 28 Injured After Bus Carrying BSF Personnel For Poll Duty Falls Into Gorge In Budgam; Terrifying Visuals Surface
-
Crime2 years agoBaba Siddique Murder: Mumbai Police Unable To Get Lawrence Bishnoi Custody Due To Home Ministry Order, Says Report
