Delhi: Crimes against children in the national capital remained alarmingly high in 2024, with 7,662 cases registered during the year, while the conviction rate declined sharply to 33 per cent, according to data tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
The figures, shared by the Ministry of Women and Child Development in response to a Rajya Sabha question on crimes against children and implementation of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, show that Delhi police filed chargesheets in 2,393 cases during 2024. At the end of the year, 8,072 cases remained under investigation, while 22,516 cases were pending trial.
The data indicates that the number of crimes against children in Delhi has remained consistently high over the past five years. Cases registered increased from 5,362 in 2020 to 7,118 in 2021, 7,468 in 2022, 7,769 in 2023 and 7,662 in 2024. During the same period, the conviction rate dropped from 69.3 per cent in 2020 to 52.4 per cent in 2021, 42.1 per cent in 2022, 42.3 per cent in 2023 and further to 33 per cent in 2024. Pending trials also rose steadily from 16,501 in 2020 to 22,516 by the end of 2024.
The Centre said the reasons for variations in chargesheet and conviction rates, as well as the pendency of cases, include the complexity of individual cases, availability of evidence, completion of investigations, examination of witnesses and the judicial process.
The government said it has strengthened the implementation of the POCSO Act through institutional support under Mission Vatsalya, financial assistance for Fast Track Special Courts, training of stakeholders, child-friendly procedures and regular reviews with states and Union Territories to ensure timely investigation and speedy disposal of cases.
It also noted that under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), investigations into specified rape and POCSO offences must be completed within two months of registration of the case, while trials in such cases are also required to be completed within two months of filing of the chargesheet. The POCSO Act further mandates that, as far as possible, trials should conclude within one year of the Special Court taking cognisance of the offence.
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