As many as 73 per cent of POCSO cases filed are yet to be investigated, according to a recent report by an NGO. Charge sheets were filed by the police in only 27 per cent of the cases in 2022. According to the experts, the lack of awareness and training to collect the evidence can lead to pendency in the investigation of sensitive crimes against minors.

The Praja Foundation report stated, ‘The status of policing and law and order in Mumbai’, focuses on various aspects of policing. It revealed the sorry state of affairs regarding cases registered under the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act. As per data released by the NGO, the cases filed in the city limits pile up year after year as their investigation remains pending.