Taking a serious view of alarming drop in the sex ratio of Uttar Pradesh, Supreme Court on Tuesday issued a slew of directions which includes completion of trial of cases lodged in the state for offence of sex determination and female foeticide within three months.
Taking a serious view of alarming drop in the sex ratio of Uttar Pradesh, Supreme Court on Tuesday issued a slew of directions which includes completion of trial of cases lodged in the state for offence of sex determination and female foeticide within three months.
"Who will speak on your (UP) behalf on the issue of female foeticide," a bench of justices Dipak Misra and Prafulla C Pant said while hearing a batch of pleas on female foeticide. The bench, which today took up the case of Uttar Pradesh, said the trial in nearly 143 cases registered under the Pre- natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act for the offences of sex determination and female foeticide be completed within three months starting January 20. It further clarified that the cases would include only those where either the Allahabad High Court or the apex court have not stayed the trial.
"After the finalisation of the trial, the report thereof shall be submitted by the Director Prosecution. If the Director Prosecution is not there (in UP), then the same shall be filed by way of an affidavit sworn by the Principal Secretary (Home) of the state...," the bench said.
The bench also asked the Registrar General of the Allahabad High Court to issue a circular to trial courts in UP about the pending cases and the direction that they have to be disposed of within three months.
The counsel for Uttar Pradesh shall provide the list of pending cases to the Registrar General of the High Court which, in turn, would circulate them to concerned District and Sessions judges where the matters are pending.
"The needful be done by January 17 and non-compliance shall be viewed seriously," the bench said. It was told by senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for one of the petitioners, that UP registers only 6.8% of total number of births of girls and boys.
"It is directed that the state of UP shall issue a circular requiring the competent authorities, nominated by it, to register the girl/boy child at the time of birth so that it effectively shows the progress or regress made in the child sex ratio," it said. If such steps have already been taken, then an affidavit shall be filed by the Principal Secretary (Health) on this issue, it said.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}