The Kerala Government has decided to set up 28 new fast- track Special Courts for cases relating to the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in the state very soon. The Union Law Ministry has given sanction in this regard and released the first installment of funds. The Courts are being set up in all districts in the wake of increase in sexual crimes against children. <br />''<br />''As per the latest statistics, there are as many as 2,497 POCSO cases under investigation stage and 9,457 cases under trial stage in the state. Thiruvananthapuram, Trissur, Palakkad, and Malappuram districts will get three courts each, while Kollam, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Kozhikode and Kannur will get two each. The remaining four districts will get one court each.<br />''<br />''The POCSO Act, passed in 2012, stipulates special courts for dealing cases, the state was yet to set up any courts. The Supreme Court had given an ultimatum of sixty days to all states to start fast-track Special Courts in the districts where more than hundred cases were pending for trial.<br />''<span style="color: #222222;"><br />''The Courts will be set up using Central and State Nirbaya Funds. The Central Government will meet sixty per cent of the expenses for setting up of each court. The remaining forty per cent will be borne by the State Government. The estimated expense of setting up of one court is 75 lakh rupees. As a first instalment, the Central Government has already released funds worth 6.3 crore rupees to the state.</span><br />