The State government has framed the Andhra Pradesh Victim Compensation Scheme – 2015, to provide financial aid to the victims of Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, acid, sexual assault, trafficking and dowry death. A GO has been issued recently in this regard.
District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) shall award the relief to the victims under Section. 357 (A) of CrPc under Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 and the amount shall be used for providing medical assistance and rehabilitation of the victim.
The AP Victim Compensation Scheme is apart from the compensation recovered or paid by the accused under Section. 357. The DLSA will release the fund on the recommendations of the Station House Officer (SHO) concerned, says Krishna District Deputy Director of Prosecutions B. Ramakoteswara Rao.
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However, the victim is eligible for compensation only when the investigation officer files FIR in 48 hours. The Public Prosecutors (PPs), Assistant PPs (APPs) and police officers are requested to create awareness among the victims on the scheme and see that the witnesses do not turn hostile, said the DD.
“Barring property and bodily offences, the government is paying compensation to the victims. In some POCSO and sexual assault cases, the accused are threatening or luring the victims by offering money during the trail period. But, the victims are eligible to claim compensation from the accused as well as government under Sections. 357 and 357 (A) respectively,” clarifies Mr. Ramakoteswara Rao.
If the victims belonged to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, the compensation under the scheme is additional to the benefits provided to them under various government schemes, he said.
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In case, if the DLSA did not award compensation, the victim approach the State Legal Services Authority) within 12 month, the DD added. “It is the responsibility of the PPs, APPS and the investigation officers to see that the guilty are punished and enlighten the victims on the AP Victims Compensation Scheme,” said the DD Prosecutions.
Victims are eligible to claim compensation from the accused as well as government
B. Ramakoteswara Rao,Krishna District Deputy Director of Prosecutions