Express News Service
RANCHI: The Jharkhand High Court on Wednesday directed the state government to pay Rs 10 lakh as compensation to a visually-impaired 19-year old tribal woman who became pregnant after being gang raped repeatedly by her own family members.
The direction came a day after a medical board constituted by the director of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences submitted its report stating that it was not possible to terminate the embryo as it is 28 weeks old and in a healthy condition.
The matter came to light when the People’s Union of Civil Liberties (PUCL) took up the matter and filed a writ petition in Jharkhand HC seeking permission for abortion.
The court, while hearing the writ petition filed by PUCL on behalf of the victim, directed the RIMS director on Thursday to constitute a medical board to examine the petitioner “and to find out whether at this stage pregnancy can be terminated or not’’.
“The State Legal Services Authority shall ensure that the state government shall pay an amount of Rs 10 lakh as compensation to the victim,” stated the court order passed by Justice Sanjay Kumar Dwivedi. The deputy commissioner of Ranchi shall ensure to open a bank account in the name of the victim in any nationalized bank chosen by the father of the woman, it added.
Meanwhile, the court order further stated that “the victim shall be put in a proper rehabilitation centre being operated by either the state government or under the scheme of the Union of India.”Advocate Sailesh Poddar appearing on behalf of the victim said that since there is no rehabilitation centre for such victims in Ranchi, this court has requested the chief secretary and the deputy commissioner to take up the issue of creating such a rehabilitation centre in Ranchi.
“The court has also directed the deputy commissioner to ensure that arrangements are made to provide proper diet and medical supervision to the rape survivor,” said advocate Sailesh Poddar, who is also a PUCL activist.The state government has also been directed to provide proper medical facilities for safe delivery of the child, he added.
The advocate said that the court has also directed the state to ensure that the victim gets the benefits of handicapped pension scheme.PUCL had approached Ranchi Deputy Commissioner and DLSA for protection and medical care of the rape victim in August but nothing was done in this regard.
“The victim is visually-challenged, extremely poor and is a victim of rape since 2018. Her father is a rickshaw puller and is unable to take care of her,” said PUCL general secretary Shashi Sagar Verma. She is under constant threat of being raped again as her mother passed away several years back and she lives alone in the rickety house, he added.
RANCHI: The Jharkhand High Court on Wednesday directed the state government to pay Rs 10 lakh as compensation to a visually-impaired 19-year old tribal woman who became pregnant after being gang raped repeatedly by her own family members.
The direction came a day after a medical board constituted by the director of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences submitted its report stating that it was not possible to terminate the embryo as it is 28 weeks old and in a healthy condition.
The matter came to light when the People’s Union of Civil Liberties (PUCL) took up the matter and filed a writ petition in Jharkhand HC seeking permission for abortion.
The court, while hearing the writ petition filed by PUCL on behalf of the victim, directed the RIMS director on Thursday to constitute a medical board to examine the petitioner “and to find out whether at this stage pregnancy can be terminated or not’’.
“The State Legal Services Authority shall ensure that the state government shall pay an amount of Rs 10 lakh as compensation to the victim,” stated the court order passed by Justice Sanjay Kumar Dwivedi. The deputy commissioner of Ranchi shall ensure to open a bank account in the name of the victim in any nationalized bank chosen by the father of the woman, it added.
Meanwhile, the court order further stated that “the victim shall be put in a proper rehabilitation centre being operated by either the state government or under the scheme of the Union of India.”Advocate Sailesh Poddar appearing on behalf of the victim said that since there is no rehabilitation centre for such victims in Ranchi, this court has requested the chief secretary and the deputy commissioner to take up the issue of creating such a rehabilitation centre in Ranchi.
“The court has also directed the deputy commissioner to ensure that arrangements are made to provide proper diet and medical supervision to the rape survivor,” said advocate Sailesh Poddar, who is also a PUCL activist.The state government has also been directed to provide proper medical facilities for safe delivery of the child, he added.
The advocate said that the court has also directed the state to ensure that the victim gets the benefits of handicapped pension scheme.PUCL had approached Ranchi Deputy Commissioner and DLSA for protection and medical care of the rape victim in August but nothing was done in this regard.
“The victim is visually-challenged, extremely poor and is a victim of rape since 2018. Her father is a rickshaw puller and is unable to take care of her,” said PUCL general secretary Shashi Sagar Verma. She is under constant threat of being raped again as her mother passed away several years back and she lives alone in the rickety house, he added.
