The Delhi High Court, under Justice Sanjeev Narula, has called on the Delhi government to respond to a petition filed by a sexual assault survivor seeking increased interim compensation. The survivor, who contracted HIV as a result of the assault, has argued for a revision of the compensation amount due to the significant physical, mental, and financial challenges she faces.
The plea highlights that the existing victim compensation schemes do not specifically address cases where the survivor contracts a sexually transmitted disease (STD) or HIV from the assault. The survivor initially received Rs 1.75 lakh under the Delhi Victim Compensation Scheme. Following her plea, an additional Rs 1 lakh was granted by a trial court in November 2023, bringing the total interim compensation to Rs 2.75 lakh.
Justice Narula has directed the Delhi government, the Department of Women and Child Development, and the Delhi State Legal Service Authority to submit their responses within two weeks. The court has scheduled the next hearing for January 7, 2025.
The case originated from an FIR registered in 2017 under the provisions of the IPC and the Protection of Women from Sexual Harassment Act. The survivor’s counsel informed the court that the financial aid provided so far has been insufficient to cover the extensive medical treatments and psychological counseling required by the petitioner.
