BHUBANESWAR: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought a detailed report on the implementation of victim compensation scheme from the Registrar General of Orissa High Court.
The apex human rights panel has asked to issue necessary directions to all district legal services authorities (DLSA) to take immediate steps and conduct inquiry as per the Odisha Victim Compensation Scheme, 2017.
Adjudicating a petition and subsequent rejoinder filed by Supreme Court lawyer and rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy, the NHRC also issued notice to DLSA secretary of Malkangiri to take steps immediately so as to grant the monetary relief to a rape survivor, whose video had gone viral, and submit a report within next four weeks.
On August 9, 2017, one 35-year-old tribal woman was allegedly raped on the roadside near MV-84 village in Malkangiri district. The incident came to light after a video clipping of the heinous crime went viral in social media. Subsequently, the accused was arrested.
Earlier, Malkangiri Collector had informed the Commission that the chargesheet in the matter was filed within seven months of the incident and the matter is sub-judice.
As the district administration intimated to the Commission that no recommendation for compensation has been made by the trial court and neither the victim nor her family members have requested for it, the petitioner in his rejoinder stated that no compensation has been paid to the victim and no action taken to delete the video from social media platforms to prevent it from circulating further.
“Even as the victim compensation scheme has been notified following the direction of the NHRC in another case, no compensation has been granted to the victim and no psycho-social counseling done so far. The steps taken by the government to check, control and prevent the spread of crime against the women is also not satisfactory,” Tripathy alleged.
Expressing concern that the victim has not been granted any monetary relief and counseling even as four years have passed since the chargesheet was filed, the NHRC directed to conduct an inquiry and award compensation within two months.