The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed all the states and union territories to identify officers in the Department of Women and Child Development at the district and taluka levels and designate them as protection officers.
A protection officer is an appointed individual tasked with ensuring the safety and well-being of victims of domestic violence.
A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma directed the chief secretaries of the states, UTs and the secretaries of the Women and Child/Social Welfare Departments to coordinate and ensure the designation of officers as protection officers under the Domestic Violence Act.
“They shall also take steps to discharge their duties under Section 11 by giving wide publicity through media to promote awareness about the provisions of the Act, ensure effective coordination of services under the Act, and implement its provisions,” it said.
The bench directed for the exercise to be completed within six weeks from today in areas where protection officers weren’t designated.
“The states shall ensure the availability of service providers, help groups, and shelter homes for distressed women. The respondent states shall also identify shelter homes for this purpose,” the top court added.
Underlining the right under the Legal Services Authorities Act, the bench ordered the member secretary of National Legal Services Authority to instruct all member secretaries of the state legal services authorities to spread awareness among women about their right to free legal aid and advice under the Domestic Violence Act.
They shall also give adequate publicity to these provisions, the bench said.
“Needless to say, if any woman approaches for legal aid or advice, it shall be provided expeditiously, as the Act guarantees every woman the right to free legal assistance,” it noted.
The top court’s direction came on a plea filed by NGO We the Women of India seeking to fill massive gaps in infrastructure under Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act across the country for providing effective legal aid to women survivors of abuse at matrimonial homes and creating shelter homes for them post lodging of complaints against husbands and inlaws.
The NGO, in its plea filed through advocate Shobha Gupta, said domestic violence continues to be the most common crime against females in India despite the Domestic Violence Act coming into force more than 15 years. (PTI)
