Jharkhand State legal Services Authority (JHAlSA) has adopted a model scheme for rehabilitation of the victims of various crimes.
In a missive to the all the Principal District Judges, JHAlSA Executive Chairman Justice DN Patel has asked them to rope in social and voluntary organisations, apart from providing them financial assistance from the State coffer, while formulating a compensation and rehabilitation scheme for a violence victim.
The JHAlSA model scheme is based on a scheme framed by the then Principal District Judge of lohardaga Pravas Kumar Singh, posted as State’s law Secretary at present, for a rape victim.
This scheme caught the fancy of Justice Anant Bijay Singh of Jharkhand High Court, who while hearing the anticipatory bail application of the rape accused in the same case, found it appropriate to be used as a template for formulating the scheme for rehabilitation of a victim in the State. The JHAlSA Executive Chairman agreed to Justice Singh’s observation and issued a circular to all the Principal DJs in this regard a couple of days back.
Notably, the Centre had introduced a provision to compensate the crime victims by amending Section 357 of Criminal Procedure Code (Cr PC) way back in 2009. However, it was implemented in Jharkhand in 2015.
The change in the approach of the Government was attributed to the fact that the criminal laws were heavily focused on how to ensure punishment to the perpetrators of a crime rather than ensuring relief to victims, particularly poor ones, who were left in the lurch.
Under the rules, a rape or acid attack victim is mandated to get Rs 3 lakh while a murder victim gets Rs 2 lakhs. Financial assistance is also provided to victims of other crimes. This apart, the district legal services authorities are to formulate a scheme for permanent rehabilitation of a victim.
In normal course, the DlSAs plan to rehabilitate a victim linking him/her with various welfare schemes run by the State government. What the DlSA in lohardaga did was to rope in several social organizations, ensure ru
Rs 10,000 donation from the Chamber of Commerce, lohardaga, Rs 11,000 from the District Chemist and Druggist Association, gas connection from Kisko gas agency, a gas stove from Senha gas agency, five sets of Sarees, bed sheets etc from the Mineral Association,
lohardaga, home utensils from Red Cross Society, and two and half months handicraft training by the Chhotanagpur Craft Development Society Association, which also offered her health card and artesian card, insurance and education aid for two children.
Moreover, the DlSA got her married with a suitable boy and shifted the couple to neighbouring latehar district in order to get rid of social stigma. It also helped the groom rehabilitate under the government schemes.
Justice Patel said that the model will help involve various social bodies and make the rehabilitation package attractive, reducing the adverse impact of crime on victims. “In fact, Jharkhand has become a pioneer state in victim compensatory jurisprudence ever since it was introduced in the State in January 2015. As many as 555 victims have been compensated with around Rs 3.5 crore under three state-level drives run by the JHAlSA so far. The State government has also pitched in with its support and allocated Rs 5 crore in the current budget,” he added.