Crimes against women: Odisha to set up five fast-track courts

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government will soon set up five fast-track courts in the state to take up cases concerning crimes against women including domestic violence, sexual assault and abuse, the state’s minister for law, works and excise, Mr. Pruthiraj Harichandan said on Saturday.

These fast track courts will dispose-off cases within a period of one month to provide justice to suffering women, Mr. Harichandan said while speaking at the 43rd annual conference of the Medico Legal Society of Odisha (MLSO), state branch of the Indian Academy of Forensic Medicine (IAFM), organised at the Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital here.

Mr. Harichandan said the role of forensic medicine was crucial in dispensing justice to women victims of crime. It was necessary for investigating officers in police stations to acquire knowledge about the medico-legal domain, he said.

He praised IMS and SUM Hospital for organizing such a program.

Prof. Pradipta Kumar Nanda, Vice-Chancellor of SOA, who attended the conference as guest of honour, said that IMS and SUM Hospital had been greatly contributing in the field of research. This program would further strengthen the university’s research initiative, he said.

The conference was also addressed by Prof. (Dr.) Ashok Kumar Mahapatra, SOA’s Principal Advisor (Health Sciences), who elaborated on the importance of forensic medicine in medical science. Prof. (Dr.) Pusparaj Samantasinghar, Medical Superintendent of the hospital, spoke on the theme of the conference ‘Forensic Frontiers: Ensuring Maternal, Child and Transgender Health for Social Justice.’

The other speakers included Prof. (Dr.) Braja Kishore Das, state’s Additional Director of Medical Education and Training and President of MLSO, Prof. (Dr.) Kunal Mishra, hospital’s Head of Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology and Dr. Ankita Mitra, Head of the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology at IMS and SUM Hospital-2 at Phulnakhara.