MHA Asked State Governments to Establish Fund for Compensating Crime Victims

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) asked all the state governments in India for establishing the fund as well as formulating the scheme for the purpose of providing compensation to the crime victims. The compensation would be given to the crime victims who suffered injury or loss due to crime. The Ministry of Home Affairs declared that the action was aimed for providing help to victims of all sorts of crimes, especially acid attack victims.

The MHA Advisory declared that all the state governments as well as UT administration was required to prepare the scheme for facilitating funds for providing compensation to the victims or dependents of the victims. For the purpose of finalising the scheme, the consultation of Union Government of India could be taken. MHA, in the meanwhile, also declared that draft scheme need to be prepared within a time period of just 4 weeks.

It is important to note that in the month of March 2013, the Supreme Court of India has also directed all the courts of India to ensure the decisions on the aspects of compensation in the criminal cases.

The MHA explained that in assault cases primarily, the offender remains untraced. Therefore, it was necessary that the victim or the family should receive the award of compensation by applying to the State or District Legal Service Authority (DLSA). The DLSA thereafter will complete the process of inquiry within the time period of just 2 months and then award the compensation.

The DLSA or the state legal service authority will decide the amount of compensation once the recommendation of the compensation is made by the court.