The Supreme Court on Monday directed state high courts to file reports on all Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) cases lying pending with them.

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A three-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra, was hearing a plea filed by a lawyer.

The petitioner, advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava, in his plea has sought the apex court's direction to frame appropriate guidelines for the investigation and trial of the cases involving rape of children of one month to 12 years of age group under the POCSO Act, 2012.

The petition has been filed in wake of the recent rape of an eight-month-old girl in the national capital. The girl is reportedly stable now.

Earlier, the apex court agreed to hear the Public-Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking justice for an eight-month-old baby girl who was brutally raped in Delhi on January 29.

The petitioner urged authorities to immediately shift the infant to a better hospital like AIIMS and to ensure that her parents get a compensation of Rs.10 lakh.

The PIL also sought a direction from the government to frame urgent guidelines to provide investigation and trial of the cases involving rape of children less than 13 years under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act, 2012. It said that this should be completed within six months from the filing of the FIR.

The infant was admitted to a hospital with serious injuries after she was allegedly raped by her 27-year-old cousin brother in northwest Delhi's Shakurbasti.