Rape compensation policy soon: State
The state government on Monday informed the Bombay high court that it would soon present a draft on the policy for rehabilitation and compensation for rape and assault victims before the Cabinet.
A division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice Anoop Mohta was hearing a PIL by the Forum Against Oppression Of Women demanding the implementation of an SC 1995 judgment, which had asked all states to set up a system for a rape victim’s compensation. The PIL was filed in the wake of the Delhi gangrape incident.
The petition states that a vast majority of rape/sexual assault victims in India are poor and illiterate and unaware of their legal rights. It stated that the laws must provide them with legal help from the time of registering a FIR up to the end of trial.
On Monday, public prosecutor Revati Dhere informed the court that the Maharashtra women and child welfare department has framed a draft of the policy and it will be tabled before the Cabinet soon. She informed the court that the policy, once passed, would provide compensation and assistance for rape victims, victims of acid attack and sexual assault.
Advocate Mihir Desai had informed court that in 1995, the National Commission of Women had framed a policy on the same and had submitted it to the Central government.
“However, till date the state government had not taken any steps on implementing the same. As per the statistics, 24,206 rape cases were registered all over the country in 2011,” he said.
The bench then directed the state to file an affidavit within four weeks on the status of the draft policy.
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