Hyderabad : India’s victim compensation framework was designed to provide financial relief and rehabilitation to survivors of crime. But nearly two decades after its introduction, the scheme is struggling with mounting backlogs, wide disparities in compensation across states, and procedural hurdles that often delay assistance to those who need it most, a recent study has found.
Under existing rules, applicants must furnish a certificate from the court or the police station in charge. Eligibility is generally linked to substantial loss or injury affecting a family’s livelihood, and victims should not have already received compensation through another government scheme or insurance. The study was conducted by D Rufus, assistant professor in the department of criminology at Sardar Patel University of Police, Security and Criminal Justice, Jodhpur, and research scholar TK Shayana.
Under the Telangana Compensation Scheme for Women Victims/Survivors of Sexual Assault and Other Crimes, 2018, which came into effect on Oct 2, 2018, compensation of up to Rs 10 lakh can be awarded in cases involving severe mental agony to women and children, including human trafficking, rape, acid attacks, kidnapping and molestation. The Victim Compensation Scheme was introduced through a 2008 amendment to the Code of Criminal Procedure under Section 357A and now falls under Section 396 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.
The study, “The Implementation of Victim Compensation Scheme in India: A Critical View,” highlights stark variations in compensation awarded to victims across the country. The authors recommended: “Uniform compensation amounts across states, simpler procedures, faster processing and greater public awareness would make the scheme more victim friendly.”