The Delhi High Court in the case Umesh v. State (and other connected matters) observed and has seek a status report from Delhi State Legal Services Authority, DSLSA for the payment of compensation to victims of sexual offences and number of applications moved so far with regards to the same.
The bench of Justice Jasmeet Singh was hearing the batch of petitions which relates to the issue of supply of FIRs in cases of sexual offences, to DSLSA for the purposes of granting interim compensation to the victims in the case.
It has also been directed by the court to the authority for filing the status report within a period of four weeks.
The court in the case observed and was apprised by the efforts that all stakeholders are in the right direction, thus, the files are being processed and has also initiated the process of compensation.
The court also directed Delhi State Legal Services Authority, DSLSA to move an application for compensation in the cases which are registered between the year 2012 to 2017, the bench headed by Justice Singh in the case observed and has clarified that there will be no requirement for filing a separate application for condonation of delay to seek compensation in such cases.
The court in the case observed and has also directed the Principal District and Sessions Judges in order to direct judges and other court staff to identify and to trace out the files of the disposed of cases of POCSO, rape and other sexual offences expeditiously and to permit inspection by the lawyers provided by Bachpan Bachao Andolan, BBA for filing of an appropriate applications for the compensation.
It has also been observed by the court that the Special Courts, on their own, initiated action for grant of interim compensation to child victims without waiting for them in order to file an application with regards to the same.
The court also sough details from the DSLSA with regards to the payment and non-payment of compensation to victims in relation to the FIRs wherein pertaining to sexual offences.
Accordingly, the court listed the matter to be next herd on May 26.
