The Supreme Court on Thursday extended the scope of its suo motu case on alarming rise in child rapes and said it would also cover questions of victim compensation as also victim and witness protection.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, after hearing the matter related to Unnao rape case, said: "We are of the view that the frontiers/areas of this suo motu action may be extended to cover questions of victim compensation, victim protection, witness protection and other connected issues. We order accordingly."
The top court has recently taken up, suo motu (on it own), the case of alarming rise in the number of rape incidents against children and had directed setting up of a centrally-funded designated court in each district having more than 100 FIRs under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act to deal exclusively with such cases.
The bench said on Thursday that senior advocate V Giri assisting the court in the case is permitted to avail the services of NGO, namely, Bachpan Bachao Andolan founded by Noble Laureate Kailash Satyarthi.
"The Amicus Curiae has also suggested that he may be allowed to avail the services of a reputed NGO, namely, Bachpan Bachao Andolan founded by Noble Laureate Kailash Satyarthi," the bench noted in its order.
It said that a further suggestion has been made by the amicus curiae that the said NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan be made a party in the instant proceedings.
"While permitting the Amicus Curiae to avail of the services of the said NGO, we defer consideration of the question of impleadment of the said NGO as a party, which question will be taken up at an appropriate stage," the bench said.
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