Mumbai, April 9:  The criminal offences against women and children are being registered every day from different parts of the country. Despite various strict laws, the number of cases is still growing at an alarming rate. According to official data by five prisons in Mumbai, nearly 17 per cent of prisoners lodged in jails are child sex offenders, reported the Times of India. Death Penalty Approved by Cabinet in Cases of Aggravated Sexual Offences Under POCSO Act.

In five prisons- Byculla, Taloja, Arthur Road, Thane and Kalyan jails- out of 11,648 prisoners lodged in till March 2019, at least 1,962 have been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Nearly, 800 prisoners accused in POCSO cases are lodged in Thane prison, followed by 675 inmates in Arthur Road jail.

Police officials told TOI that many of the offenders claim they are innocent. Some of the youths who were in a relationship with underage girls were arrested under POCSO act after their parents filed a police complaint, he added. POCSO Act 2012 Amendment is An Eyewash? As a Society We Need to Act From ‘Swachh Bharat’ to ‘Savdhaan Bharat’.

As per 2011 census, India has a population of 472 million children, including 22 million girls, below 18 years of age. To protect them from sexual offences, POCSO act was brought in 2012.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 09, 2019 02:57 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).