Chennai: Tamil Nadu Sanctions 26 New POCSO Courts at Rs 46.59 Crore, Total to Reach 52; Four NDPS Courts Also Approved

The Tamil Nadu government has sanctioned 26 additional special courts to try only POCSO cases, at a cost of Rs 46.59 crore, and four new special courts for drug cases under the NDPS Act, according to an official statement issued on Sunday, November 1.

Awaaz Punjab Investigations Desk1 November 20263 min readRead in all 3 languages

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government has sanctioned 26 additional special courts exclusively to try cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, in a move aimed at clearing the backlog of child sexual abuse cases and delivering faster justice, according to an official statement released on Sunday, November 1, 2026. The 26 courts will be set up at a cost of Rs 46.59 crore.

Source: NationPress

The sanction comprises 12 new special courts and 14 additional special courts. Tamil Nadu currently has 22 functioning special POCSO courts, with four more already set to become operational; the latest sanction will take the planned statewide total to 52 courts serving the state's 47 police districts, hearing only cases registered under the POCSO Act, the Indian Express reported.

Source: Indian Express via Chetan Bharat Current Affairs

The decision followed a review of pending cases across the state chaired by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay. During the review, the Chief Minister assessed the status of trials and directed officials to set up POCSO courts across all districts, accelerate investigations and ensure timely punishment for those found guilty, according to the reports.

26new POCSO courts sanctioned

Rs 46.59 crorecost of the POCSO expansion

52total POCSO courts planned

47police districts covered

Separately, the state has also approved four new special courts to handle cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, as part of its 'Drug-Free Tamil Nadu' campaign. The four courts will be set up one each in Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Vellore, with one additional special court in Chennai. Tamil Nadu currently has 11 special NDPS courts in operation.

The sanctioned courts are yet to begin functioning; the announcement sets out the approved numbers, cost and locations, and the courts will become operational as they are formally established. Awaaz Punjab will update this story when the government notifies the new courts or announces opening dates.

Sources