Delhi High Court Calls For Safeguards Against Misuse Of Victim Compensation In Sexual Offences

The Delhi High Court has flagged the misuse of victim compensation in sexual offence cases and issued guidelines for the effective implementation of victim compensation mechanisms.

The Court noted that interim compensation awarded after FIR registration is often not recovered when victims later withdraw allegations, enter into settlements, seek quashing of proceedings, or turn hostile during trial.

It observed that the Delhi State Legal Services Authority is often not informed of quashing orders, including in cases under Section 376 IPC and the POCSO Act, preventing examination of recovery.

To address this gap, the Court directed trial courts to forward quashing and closure orders to DSLSA and mandated disclosure of compensation details in petitions seeking quashing of sexual offence cases.

[State v. Toshib alias Paritosh & Ors.]