A Training Programme on Legal Aspects in Cases of Crime against Women and Victim Compensation Schemes for Prosecutors of Chandigarh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, and Ladakh was organized by the Central Detective Training Institute at Chandigarh. Surabhi Prashar, CJM-cum-Secretary, District Legal Services Authority, SAS Nagar, while addressing the gathering, apprised the Prosecutors of various provisions under the Dowry Prohibition Act (Act 28 of 1961) and the Dowry Prohibition (Amendment) Act, 1984.
She disclosed that as per the ‘Dowry Prohibition (Amendment) Act, 1986, with a view to combating the increasing menace of dowry deaths, Section 304-B lays down that where the death of a woman is caused by burns or bodily injury or occurs otherwise than under normal circumstances within seven years of marriage, and it is shown that soon before the death of the woman, she was subjected to cruelty or harassment by her husband or his relatives for or in connection with any demand for dowry, such death shall be called ‘dowry death,’ and the husband or relatives shall be deemed to have caused her death.
She further educated the Prosecutors that Section 498-A, I.P.C. was introduced in the Penal Code by the Criminal Law (Second Amendment) Act of 1983, which came into force with effect from 25th December 1983.
The Secretary, DLSA, also apprised the Prosecutors regarding compensation that can be granted to the victims under the provisions of the POCSO Act as per Section 33 (8) of the POCSO Act, 2012.
For claiming compensation, an application can be filed immediately after the commission of the crime, and the Special Court without any delay grants compensation in such matters. She impressed upon the prosecutors to be empathetic towards the victims while dealing with cases under the POCSO Act and educate the victims regarding the compensation schemes so that they may file an application in the Court. Besides this, training on the topics of the Punjab Compensation Scheme, 2017, and NALSA’s Compensation Scheme for Women Victims/Survivors of Sexual Assault/other Crimes-2018 was also imparted.