New Delhi, December 16: Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad Arvind Bobde on Monday announced the setting up of a two-member panel which would monitor the hearing of rape cases in trial courts. The committee, comprising of Justices MR Shah and Subhash Reddy, has been tasked to expedite the hearing of sexual assault cases in the lower courts and ensure their timely disposal. Nirbhaya Case: Seven Years On, Nation Awaits Capital Punishment for Four Convicts of December 16, 2012, Delhi Gangrape And Murder Case.

The setting up of panel comes amid a nationwide outrage over the rape and murder of a 27-year-old veterinarian doctor in Hyderabad. A day before the committee being constituted by CJI Bobde, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu had reiterated the need to ensure timely execution of justice in rape cases.

"The rise in the number of crimes against women and children, especially heinous crimes, troubles me deeply. We have been hearing incidents here and there across the country," Naidu said at the event where he honoured the performance of Gujarat Police.

Apart from the Vice President, CJI Bobde had also last week expressed the need to execute timely justice in cases involving sexual assault on women and children. The Chief Justice, however, warned the nation against illegal activities such as extrajudicial killings.

"I don't think justice can ever be or ought to be instant. And justice must never ever take the form of revenge. I believe justice loses its character of justice if it becomes revenge," he had said, days after jubilant celebrations were witnessed in some parts of the nation over the "encounter" of four men who had allegedly raped the veterinarian in Hyderabad.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 17, 2019 12:09 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).