Bombay HC slams Maharashtra govt for ignoring rape victims’ kids

Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Thursday rapped the state for not making any special scheme for children who are born due to rape. The state seeks to offer succour and help to the survivors of rapes and acid attacks through its Manodhairya scheme but it makes no provision for children born due to rapes.

The high court said a separate department to register such complaints should be formed to help the victims’ children and rehabilitation of victims should be a priority. The court has asked the principal secretary of women and child welfare ministry to remain present before the court on the next hearing.

A division bench of Justices Ranjit More and Anuja Prabudessai was hearing a petition filed by Jaleel Shaikh. Mr Shaikh sought directions from the court to the government to implement the Manodhairya scheme from retrospective effect and to award compensation to all those women who were survivors of rape and acid attacks prior to 2013.

After hearing the contentions of the petitioner, the bench observed that merely compensating rape survivors would not suffice, as the children born of rape were also victims. “Children of rape survivors should be treated as victims as well and the government should frame a policy for such children so that they get a good education and facilities that will help them grow in a conducive atmosphere,” said the bench.

The court also suggested that the government should create a separate department that would keep track of such children and maintain a register that would remain only with the department concerned so that the survivors and victims are compensated promptly.

In the previous hearing, the court had asked the principal secretary of women and child welfare ministry to be present in court and apprise it if any policy was made for the children of survivors. However, as he was absent, the court insisted that he come to court on the next hearing and inform them of the same. The court assured him that he would be heard in the chamber.

The Manodhairya scheme launched in October 2013 by the state government stipulated giving a compensation of Rs 3 lakh to the survivors as well as providing them counselling and vocational training so that they could get reintegrated into the mainstream of the society. Recently, the Legislative Council proposed to raise the compensation amount from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.