The new Pune POCSO court building at the Shivajinagar district court complex is expected to be handed over to the district court by the end of November, after construction delays pushed the project beyond multiple deadlines. The four-storey facility is intended to speed up the hearing of child sexual abuse cases and provide a more child-friendly environment for victims.
The building was planned as part of an agreement under which the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) would construct a separate POCSO court facility in exchange for land belonging to the district court for the Hinjewadi–Shivajinagar Metro Line 3 project. Tata Projects was directed to begin the construction in January 2024, with the work originally expected to be completed within 18 months.
The project did not meet its original deadline because of construction delays and hold-ups in obtaining various permissions. The completion deadline was later extended to March 2026 and then to September 2026. Both revised deadlines passed without the building being handed over to the district court.
The repeated delays led the PMRDA commissioner’s office to impose a fine of Rs 34 lakh on the contractor. The authority also warned that the contract could be cancelled if the work was not completed within the stipulated period. The delays continued even after the Hinjewadi–Shivajinagar Metro corridor became operational, according to the report by Lokmat – Pune.
PMRDA chief engineer Rinaz Pathan said the building’s construction had been completed and that work was currently under way on the remaining items. These include false-ceiling work, cladding and waterproofing. The availability of workers was affected to some extent by the Diwali period, she said.
The proposed facility will have six special POCSO courts and will be fully air-conditioned. It is also planned to include child-friendly preparation rooms, counselling rooms and video-conferencing facilities. These features are intended to support children and their families during court proceedings and enable the recording or conduct of proceedings through video links where required.
Pathan said a meeting had been held with representatives of Tata Projects on November 6, and that the contractor had been instructed to complete the remaining work in accordance with directions from the court. A physical inspection of the site has also been completed, and a report is to be submitted. PMRDA has instructed that the outstanding work be completed and the building handed over by the end of November.
More than 6,500 POCSO cases are pending in Pune, with the Shivajinagar court reported to have the largest share of the backlog. The handover of a dedicated building is therefore expected to provide additional court capacity, although the facility will become operational only after the transfer and related administrative processes are completed.
