In a written response to a question from Bharatiya Janata Party MP Poonam Mahajan and Congress MP Ramya Haridas, the Centre stated that it has no plans to set up fast track courts for undertrials at this time.
Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister for Law and Justice, responded, “State governments are responsible for the establishment and operation of subordinate courts, including Fast Track Courts (FTCs), which they establish in consultation with respective High Courts. There is currently no plan to establish fast track courts for undertrials.”
In response to a question from several MPs about the number of Undertrial Review Committees (UTRCs) established in the country and whether they have been able to reduce the number of under-trial prisoners and the time they spend in the country’s prisons, Rijiju stated, “During the years 2021 and 2022, a total of 17,020 and 35,480 inmates/Undertrial Prisoners (UTPs) were released pursuant to recommendations of the UTRCs.”
The UTRCs examine 14 categories of prisoner cases before recommending release.” According to the centre, there are currently 677 UTRCs in operation across the country.”