20.3.2010
Times of India

Pending rape cases to be fast-tracked

Mumbai: The Democratic Front government spoke in two voices in the legislative assembly here on Friday. While home minister R R Patil of the NCP insisted that the number of cases of rape, molestation and child abuse were on the decline, chief minister Ashok Chavan (Congress) disagreed with him.
While replying to queries raised by the Opposition during the question hour, Patil claimed that the number of these offences were reducing, but did not reveal the statistics. The Opposition was not in no mood to swallow this claim. Intervening in the debate, Chavan said the issue (of increasing rapes) raised by the Opposition was a matter of “deep concern.’’ He said he would take up the issue with the Chief Justice of Bombay high court and urge expeditious disposal of these cases. Patil said all these cases which were pending for over one year, would be moved to fast-track courts.