Collect rape complainants’ a/c details to give aid: HC

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Friday directed the state government to consider ordering all police stations to collect address and bank account details of rape survivors while registering FIR so that they can get financial assistance within 15 days of filing complaint.
A bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Amjad Sayed issued the directive after prosecutor Prajakta Shinde said that though funds are available, the district compensation boards encountered practical difficulties such as lack of address and bank details of the survivors.
The court was hearing a PIL that highlighted the delay in payment of compensation and rehabilitation of rape survivors under a scheme mandated by a Supreme Court judgment.
After perusing the records of compensation paid to survivors, the judges said there’s “hardly any effective implementation”. They noted that during 2014-15, only 40 survivors were compensated out of 327 rapes cases registered in Mumbai suburban district. During 2015-16, out of the 192 rape cases, the board approved 189 cases for compensation, but paid none. In 2015-16, 87 rape cases were reported in Mumbai city district, approval was given for 36, but compensation paid to just five survivors.
The government was directed to produce details of rape cases registered between April 1 and July 31, 2016 and compensation paid to enable it examine the disbursal process.