Special Court for Exclusive Trial of POCSO Act cases inaugurated in Tiruchi

Collector Pratik Tayal at the inauguration of a Special Court for Exclusive Trial of Cases under POCSO Act by Chief Justice, Madras High Court, Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari, through video conference in Tiruchi on Friday. | Photo Credit: M. MOORTHY A Special Court for Exclusive Trial of Cases under POCSO Act, 2012 has been established on the Combined Court campus in Tiruchi. The Chief Justice, Madras High Court, Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari, inaugurated the Special Court through video conference from Chennai on Friday in the presence of Justice A.D. Jagadish Chandira, Judge, Madras High Court and Portfolio Judge for Tiruchi district, and Justice S. Srimathy, Judge, Madras High Court. Speaking on the occasion, Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari said with the establishment of this dedicated Special Court, it will take up 446 pending POCSO Act cases transferred from the Mahila Court in Tiruchi. It will take a decisive step towards expediting justice for vulnerable victims, the Chief Justice said. Prior to this inauguration, 47 courts were functioning within Tiruchi district. This addition brings the total to 48 courts, he said. The inauguration of the Special Court elevates the total number of courts functioning across Tamil Nadu from 1,294 to 1,295 reinforcing our institutional capacity to deliver swift and specialised protection under the law. “Everyone who works in this Special Court has an important role. We must seek the truth without adding to the child’s distress,” he observed.Justice A.D. Jagadish Chandira, Judge, Madras High Court, said the establishment of the Special Court is a reaffirmation of our collective responsibility to protect the dignity, safety and innocence of children.Children are one of the most vulnerable members of our society. Sexual abuse of a child leads not merely physical injuries but often deep emotional and psychological scars. The establishment of an exclusive Special Court is particularly significant in this context. Justice must be prompt but equally it must be fair, sensitive and humane, he observed.Present during the inaugural function in Tiruchi were the District Collector, Tiruchi Pratik Tayal, Principal District Judge, Tiruchi M. Christopher, Commissioner of Police, Tiruchi N. Kamini, Superintendent of Police, Tiruchi, Dongare Pravin Umesh, office-bearers of the Tiruchi Bar Association and Criminal Courts Advocate’s Association, besides several advocates. Published - October 16, 2026 08:50 pm IST