3 States told to notify plans for compensating rape victims

3 States told to notify plans for compensating rape victims

Women in this part of the region will have more than the satisfaction of seeing their aggressors behind bars.

They will soon be compensated for the acts of violence against them. Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the States of Punjab, Haryana and the Union Territory of Chandigarh to notify the schemes for compensating victims of rape and other crimes against women, at the earliest.

The Bench has asked the authorities concerned to issue notification “at the earliest” already prepared schemes in this regard. The significant directions, expected to go a long way in compensating the victims, came on a petition filed by Voluntary Health Association of Punjab against the Union of India (the Centre) and another respondent “seeking directions from the Court for preparation of a scheme for payment of compensation to victims of rape and crime against women”.

The said scheme “is required to be prepared by the Union of India in conformity with the judgement of the Apex Court dated October 19, 1994”.

A Division Bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Mahesh Grover issued the directions after the Bench was informed that the schemes, under Section 357-A of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), have already been prepared.

“During pendency of the writ petition, Section 357-A of the Code of Criminal Procedure has been brought into force by the amendment made by Act No 5 of 2009 with effect from December 31, 2009,” stated the Bench.

It added, “We are told that the necessary Schemes under Section 357-A CrPC have been prepared by the States of Punjab and Haryana and the Union Territory Administration, Chandigarh but the same are yet to be notified.”