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Rishikesh Ankita Bhandari was allegedly murdered by Pulkit Arya, the resort’s owner and the son of expelled BJP lawmaker Vinod Arya, and two staff members after she refused to provide “special services,” which was the resort’s code for prostitution, to visitors. Four days after she vanished, the three men were only detained and charged with her murder last Friday. Social media outcry and demonstrations on the ground claimed that Pulkit Arya’s connections to the ruling party had prevented police from acting. Later, the BJP removed both Pulkit Arya’s brother Ankit and father, former minister Vinod Arya. Ankita’s body was discovered from a nearby water channel. She drowned to death, and there were injuries found during the examination. Former workers claim that drug use and prostitution were commonplace “services” at the Vanantra resort. Rishita, who worked there as a receptionist while her husband, Vivek, worked as a housekeeper, alleged that the resort administration would give the guests illegal alcohol, ganja (cannabis), and other drugs, as well as even girls. Rishita worked there till two months ago. Before Ankita Bhandari joined in August, they had left. Less than a month after starting the job, Ankita—who accepted it so she could provide for her family—was slain. No matter who is implicated, “severe action” would be taken, according to Chief Minister Dhami. The case has also raised concerns about the state’s approach to managing rural crime. Ankita Bhandari’s complaint was filed by the patwari (land revenue official) in one rural region, and it wasn’t addressed till after that. ( NDTV News Desk, September 28, 2022 4:08 pm IST)

In order to give the victim prompt justice, Pushkar Singh Dhami has also promised Ankita’s family that her murder case will be handled in a fast track court. To serve as a deterrent for criminals in the future, it would be made sure that the murderers receive the toughest punishment possible, he stressed. According to Additional Secretary Navneet Pandey, the money is being given to Virendra Singh Bhandari, the father of Bhandari, from the Chief Minister’s Discretionary Fund. 

“The state legislature is on Ankita’s side. We shall offer them all of our assistance. An SIT is looking into the case (Special Investigation Team). The investigation will be carried out objectively, and it will be finished as quickly as feasible “declared the chief minister.

LAWS IN CONCERN:

In India, the Fast Track Courts (FTCs) were founded in 2000 with the goal of resolving lengthy Sessions and other lower court issues. Over 3 crore lawsuits are reportedly still pending in all of the nation’s courts. In 2000, 1734 FTCs in total were approved as a result of the 11th Finance Commission’s report. Only 1562 of them were operational by 2005, the year this experimental plan was meant to come to an end. In 2005, the federal government chose to continue funding the 1562 operational FTCs for the ensuing six years (till 2011). There were only 1192 operational FTCs as of the end of 2011.

ABOUT THE LEGISLATIONS AND WHY THEY ARE IMPORTANT IN REAL LIFE:

The primary goal of fast track courts in India is to swiftly resolve many open cases in a limited amount of time. Retired judges are eligible for selection, and judges are appointed on an as-needed basis. Since they receive the entire attention of the judiciary, which was lacking in high courts and district courts due to the overwhelming number of pending cases, fast track courts in India have shown to be a successful method of handling sexual assault and child abuse cases. 

What are the benefits and drawbacks of fast track courts? In a time when technology improvements are happening and getting better every day, crimes are also evolving and getting more serious.

Need for fast track courts

1. Sought to resolve a sizable number of ongoing cases: The primary goal of the establishment of fast track courts was to resolve a sizable number of pending cases and lighten the load on district and high courts. Fast track cases are another reason to give sexual assault the attention and time it needs (the fast track case law). 
2. Is anticipated to lower the number of inmates who are awaiting trial or are currently undergoing trials. India has one of the highest numbers of inmates (about 2.8 lakh), and this figure is rising daily as new case laws are developed and new suspects are imprisoned. Fast track courts are required around the nation in order to lower this number.
3. The need for a rapid trial: It is crucial to offer a speedy trial and justice in a nation where thousands of crimes are committed every day. Fast track courts are necessary in order to meet the goals of speedy trial, which is also a constitutional right. 
4. The judiciary’s dedication to eradicating gender-based and sexual violence: Fast track courts seek to deliver prompt and correct justice to victims of gender and sexual assault. It demonstrates the judiciary’s dedication to putting a stop to sexual and gender-based violence.

CONCLUSION:

Fast track courts in society have benefits and drawbacks, just like everything else. However, fast track courts have shown to be highly helpful and have assisted in the resolution of millions of cases (the fast track cases-the fast track case law). India needs fast track courts in this moment to stop sexual and gender-based violence. Therefore, you can determine which is more prevalent by looking at the benefits and drawbacks of fast track courts

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