Will increase compensation to rape victims: Maha govt to HC
Facing flak over its “insensitive attitude” towards victims of rape and other women-related offences, the Maharashtra government today told the Bombay High Court that it would revise the Manodhairya scheme, raising the monetary compensation to victims to Rs 10 lakh.
Under the Manodhairya Yojana launched in October 2013, the state government gives a compensation of Rs 3 lakh to victims of rape and other crimes against women. Apart from the monetary compensation, the government will also provide counselling to the victim and vocational or educational training, if required.
However, the high court, while hearing a bunch of petitions on the issue, had earlier said the Maharashtra government was “insensitive” towards such victims and that it should follow the footsteps of the Goa government, which awards compensation up to Rs 10 lakh.
The high court had formed a committee with two judges and bureaucrats from the state's women and child department to evolve a model scheme. The committee on Wednesday submitted a 16-page scheme, proposed to be revised, to a division bench of Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice M S Sonak.
Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbakoni told the court that the state government has agreed to implement the scheme submitted by the committee. According to the proposed scheme, in rape cases, where the victim suffers mental retardation or incurs permanent physical or mental disability; in gangrape cases; minor victims of sexual assaults and acid attack cases, the victim will get a relief of Rs 10 lakh.
In rape case which leads to death of a woman and in case she was a working woman, the legal heir will get Rs 10 lakh and in case of a non-working woman, the legal heir will get Rs five lakh, as per the scheme.
The high court took objection to this and said, “Why are you discriminating between working and nonworking women? The services of a home maker cannot be measured or valued in money.” Kumbakoni then immediately said the amount would be increased to Rs 10 lakh even in case of a non-working woman.
The revised scheme, however, shall apply only to the victims on whom offences are committed on and after the date of the scheme coming into effect. According to the scheme, the state government shall issue an appropriate government resolution specifying the date with effect from which it shall come into force. Under the revised scheme, the State Legal Services Authority has been authorised to receive applications seeking compensation.