The Bombay High Court today directed Maharashtra government to submit details of the number of cases pertaining to offences against women lodged in the state and the number of cases sent to a committee for approval of compensation to the victim under the Manodhairya scheme.
The Manodhairya Scheme envisages disbursement of compensation and rehabilitation of rape survivors and victims of other offences against women.
A division bench of justices A S Oka and A A Sayed today asked the government to submit a chart giving details of number of FIRs lodged from June 30, 2016, till date pertaining to offences against women and how many cases have been sent to the government-appointed committee for approval of compensation.
The court directed the government to submit details of Mumbai within three weeks and the remaining state within six weeks.
The bench was today informed by the government that from October, 2013 to March, 2016, a total of 4,809 cases pertaining to offences against women were registered in the state, of which 3,714 have been approved by the committee for compensation.
Of the 3714, compensation has been given in 1,999 cases while in the remaining ones, money will be disbursed after funds are allocated.
The court directed the government to disburse compensation in the remaining cases within a month.
The directions were passed in a public interest litigation by NGO 'Forum Against Oppression of Women', highlighting inordinate delay by the government in implementing the scheme for compensating and rehabilitating rape survivors, as envisaged in the apex court's decision of 1994.
The court asked if the government was giving publicity to
the scheme so that more people become aware of it.
"Are the police informing the victims at the time of recording their statement about the scheme?" Justice Kulkarni said
To this, Chief Justice Chellur remarked, "First the police need to speak politely to the victims. Such cases should be handled by women officers."
The court noted that under the scheme, in the case of acid attacks if the victim suffers injuries on her face then compensation of Rs three lakh is given, but if the injuries are in any other part of the body and not face then only a sum of Rs 50,000 is given.
"What is this ? Complete non-application of mind. What if a girl suffers injuries to her limbs and is not able to use her hands or not walk...Is Rs 50,000 enough for her? The government is bothered only about the face," the court said.
"Similarly in cases of child victims, the government has to think about the entire life of the child," the bench said.
The court also noted that till date in no case the government has handed over Rs one lakh to a victim within 15 days of registration of the FIR as provided in the scheme.
