Odisha Establishes Six Exclusive Special Courts to Fast Track SC/ST Atrocity Cases

The Odisha government has established six new exclusive special courts to ensure the speedy trial and effective prosecution of offences registered under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, in a move aimed at strengthening access to justice for members of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and reducing the backlog of pending cases.

The Home Department issued the notification after completing the statutory consultation process and obtaining recommendations and concurrence from the High Court of Orissa, according to an official statement. The newly created courts will function as courts of Additional District and Sessions Judges-cum-Special Courts with exclusive jurisdiction over the revenue districts of Bhadrak, Ganjam (Berhampur), Jajpur, Kendrapara and Puri, along with the Khurda revenue subdivision.

The state government said the initiative is intended to clear pending cases and significantly reduce delays in districts recording a high volume of cases under the SC/ST Act. The decision follows extensive pendency audits and case load assessments conducted by the State Human Rights Protection Cell (SHRPC) at Odisha Police Headquarters. The proposal was coordinated by Additional Director General of Police Yatindra Koyal, who identified priority districts before securing judicial concurrence.

Following the notification, the Home Department has requested the High Court to appoint Additional District and Sessions Judges as presiding officers of the newly constituted courts. The government is also examining proposals to establish similar exclusive special courts and appoint Special Public Prosecutors in other districts with high pendency of SC/ST atrocity cases, signalling a broader effort to strengthen implementation of the protective legislation across the state.