Pay Rs 15 crore for victims of sexual crimes, says Delhi High Court

New Delhi: Unhappy with the Delhi government for not releasing money to the victim compensation fund, as was ordered by it three months ago, the Delhi high court on Friday directed it to disburse Rs 15 crore by August 17.

A bench of justices S. Ravindra Bhat and S.P. Garg also directed the principal secretary, finance to be present before it on August 17, the next date of hearing in the case, if the money isn't disbursed by then. The court had, on May 4, directed the AAP government to disburse Rs 10 crore within seven days so as to grant interim compensation to victims of sexual offences.

However, the Delhi State Legal Services Authority represented by advocate Sumer Sethi told the bench that no amount has been received from the government so far. It also told the court that requirement of funds to grant interim compensation had gone up to `15 crore as it had processed more than 500 applications of victims.  The finance department was yet to take a decision on to disburse `10 crore, as was ordered by the court earlier. 

The victim compensation fund was created in the aftermath of the December 16, 2012, gangrape case in the Capital. The bench noted that the DSLSA now needed `15 crore and said, “Given this development, the Delhi government shall take immediate action to disburse the funds required before the next date of hearing, failing which the principal Secretary of Finance would be present in court on August 17.”

During the court hearing, Meera Bhatia, the amicus curiae (an impartial adviser to a court of law in a particular case) and Swati Jaihind, DCW chairperson told the court that there was no money to give compensation to the victims of crimes against women, including rape.The court was hearing a public interest litigation initiated by it after the gruesome December 16, 2012, gangrape. The court gave directions from time to time with regard to improving probe of crimes and protection of women in the capital.