New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday pulled up all the states, in particular Madhya Pradesh for not showing enough concern to rape victims by specifying the amount of compensation payable to each victim under the fund set up after December 26 gangrape. A bench of Justice Madan B. Lokur and Deepak Gupta expressed anger as none of the states and Union Territories, except Sikkim, filed affidavits specifying the amount they received under the Fund towards victim compensation and details of how much of that amount has been disbursed to the victims of sexual assault.
The Fund was announced by the Centre in 2013 after the December 16, 2012 gang-rape and murder case in Delhi to support the initiatives of governments and the NGOs working for women’s safety. Referring to Madhya Pradesh’s earlier affidavit, Justice Lokur said, “For Madhya Pradesh, the figures are fantastic. There are 1,951 rape victims in Madhya Pradesh and you are giving them Rs 6,000- Rs 6,500 each. Is that good, commendable? What is this? This is total insensitiveness. Are you doing a charity? How can you do so you value a rape at Rs 6,000- Rs 6,500.”
The Bench observed, “We had given a specific order on January 9 asking you to file affidavits. Are the states not interested in paying compensation? If you don’t file affidavit then there is the presumption that you are not interested in safety and protection of women.” The bench termed it “shocking” that despite getting the maximum amount under the Fund, the state had only spent around Rs one crore on 1,951 rape victims.
The Haryana government also faced the wrath of the top court for not filing its affidavit giving details about Fund. As a last chance the court directed all the state governments and Union Territories to file an affidavit within four weeks indicating the amount received by each state and Union Territory under the Fund and even otherwise and to the number of victims of sexual assault. The Bench directed the matter to be listed after four weeks.
