The Delhi High Court today has sought a response from the Delhi State Legal Service Authority in a plea by a victim of human trafficking seeking compensation under the Delhi Victim Compensation Scheme, 2018.
The single-judge bench of Justice Rekha Palli was informed by the counsel for the Delhi Government that the nodal authority to decide the representation is the District Legal Services Authority, South, and that the petitioner’s representation has already been forwarded to the said authority.
The counsel for the Delhi Government sought adjournment to seek instructions regarding the status of the claim.
The Bench granted him time to obtain instructions in this regard and adjourned the matter to July 19.
The petition is filed by a young woman from Meghalaya, aged about 20 years, who was lured and trafficked to Delhi by some persons on the pretext of providing a job. According to the plea, the petitioner was brought to Delhi on January 11, 2020; and was later sent to some place in Malviya Nagar, where she was forced into commercial sexual exploitation. The plea avers that on February 2, 2020, another girl belonging to her community was brought to the said place and she too was forced into commercial sexual exploitation. However, the girl somehow managed to escape from the place and later came with the police, on February 14, 2020, to rescue the petitioner after which she was taken to a safe place. The plea contends that at the instance of the petitioner, an FIR was registered at PS Malviya Nagar and the trial is pending before the Trial Court.
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Furthermore, the plea avers that on February 22, 2021, the petitioner made representations for grant of compensation Delhi Victim’s Compensation Scheme, 2018, before the concerned authorities, however, no concrete action on her representations has been taken yet.
In light of the above, the plea seeks direction for payment of compensation to the petitioner to the tune of Rs 19 lakh under the Delhi Victim Compensation Scheme, 2018; and further for conducting petitioner’s case in a fast and just manner.
Ms.-J.R.-v.-Govt.-of-Delhi