India-27th Session May 2017-"Honour crimes"

Para 41) … Similarly, in Shakti Vahini v. Union of India and Others the Court laid down preventive and remedial measures to tackle the issue of honour killing; Para 105) Regarding the issue of honour killing, the Supreme Court of India in Shakti Vahini v. Union of India held that the “right needs to be protected and it cannot succumb to the conception of class honour or group thinking.” Also the Court has laid down preventive, punitive and remedial measures to address the issue of honour killing. Accordingly, the Government issued an advisory to setting up of Special Cells in sensitive districts with 24*7 helpline to receive and register complaints and to provide necessary assistance. Para 114) India is committed to continue its efforts to protect children from sexual exploitation, corporal punishment, child marriage, and child labour and to support child victims of sexual offences. Para 115) The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 was amended in 2019 to further protect children from offences such as sexual assault, sexual harassment, cybercrime and pornography. The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Rules, 2020 (POCSO Rules) were also notified to effectively implement the amended provisions. Para 116) The Government introduced a scheme in 2019 to set up 1023 Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) including 389 exclusive POCSO Courts across the nation for time bound completion of trials relating to sexual offences. As of May 2022, 726 Fast Special Track Courts and 408 e-POCSO Courts have become functional. The Central Bureau of Investigation has joined the international child sexual exploitation database of INTERPOL to bolster its fight against sex abuse of minors and help in identification of victims and abusers.