MSHRC takes suo motu note of rape, acid attack survivors

The rights commission has directed the department and the police to file affidavits in response to the problems pointed out in the news article and posted the suo motu petition for further hearing on December 15.

Mumbai: The Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission (MSHRC) has taken suo motu note of a Hindustan Times report which highlighted that more than 6,000 rape and acid attack survivors are waiting for compensation under the state government’s Manodhairya scheme and issued notice to the Women and Child Welfare Department and the Commissioner of Police, Mumbai.

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The report was published on November 10.

The rights commission has directed the department and the police to file affidavits in response to the problems pointed out in the news article and posted the suo motu petition for further hearing on December 15.

The bench of MSHRC chairman justice K K Tated initiated the suo-motu matter on November 16. Referring to the article pointed to the fact that the Manodhairya scheme contemplated payment of interim and final compensation to the survivors at the time of registration of complaint and on completion of trial and conviction of accused, respectively, but the same was not being done as the survivors did not have bank accounts and documents.

In light of the fact that survivors did not have bank accounts and requisite documents, the disbursement of the compensation amount was not being done in a timely manner the bench issued notice to the principal secretary, WCD and Mumbai police commissioner to conduct an inquiry and file an affidavit in this regard before the hearing of the suo motu petition on December 15, 2022.

The compensation under the Manodhairya scheme is intended to help survivors overcome the trauma they faced and give them a chance to improve their condition however the amount is not reaching them on time as there is no time limit fixed for the disbursement of the amount. NGOs and activists helping the victims say that victims must run from pillar to post and end up getting the amount after many years. This problem they say could be rectified if the authorities set a time limit to disburse the interim and final compensation amount due to the survivors.