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Gujarat Courts Deliver 1,785 POCSO Verdicts, 908 Receive Life Sentences
Gujarat courts decided 1,785 cases involving sexual offences against children between 2022 and August 2026.
The cases were handled under a law called the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
Courts gave 908 people life sentences and 16 people death sentences.
The number of decisions increased over the years.
Police said most investigations were completed and chargesheets were filed within 45 days.
Fast-track courts were used to begin trials sooner.
In one Kalol case, a court gave its verdict within 72 hours after police filed the chargesheet.
State officials said they want children and their families to receive justice quickly.
Gujarat courts delivered 1,785 verdicts under the POCSO Act between 2022 and August 2026.
Of those convicted, 908 received life imprisonment and 16 were sentenced to death.
The number of judgments rose from 194 in 2022 to 499 in 2025.
Courts delivered 346 judgments in the first eight months of 2026, including 241 life sentences and two death sentences.
Police reported filing chargesheets within 45 days in most cases, while fast-track courts handled trials.
- Who
- Gujarat courts, the Gujarat Police, and accused persons in cases registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
- What
- Courts delivered 1,785 POCSO verdicts, including 908 life sentences and 16 death sentences.
- Where
- Gujarat, including a recent case heard by a Special POCSO Court in Kalol.
- When
- Between 2022 and August 2026; 346 judgments were delivered during the first eight months of 2026.
- Why
- The state said fast-track courts, prompt investigations, and timely chargesheets were intended to speed up justice for child victims and their families.
Key facts
- Total verdicts
- 1,785 between 2022 and August 2026
- Life sentences
- 908 accused were sentenced to life imprisonment
- Death sentences
- 16 accused received death sentences
- Judgments in 2022
- 194
- Judgments in 2025
- 499
- Judgments in 2026
- 346 in the first eight months, including 241 life sentences and two death sentences
- Investigation timeline
- Chargesheets were filed within 45 days in most cases, according to police figures
- Kalol case
- A Special POCSO Court delivered a verdict within 72 hours of the chargesheet being filed
Quotes
Harsh Sanghavi
Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister
“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.”
thehansindia.com
“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.”
thehansindia.com
Sources
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