Supreme Court Directs States/UTs To File Report On Suggestions Given By Petitioner For Effective Implementation Of Domestic Violence Act

The Supreme Court today directed the States and Union Territories to file a status report in response to the suggestions filed by the petitioner 'We The Women of India', a non-governmental organisation, for the effective implementation of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005. Essentially, Gupta on the previous hearing had informed the Court that the "assistance network" under the PWDVA comprising of provisions relating to Protection Officers, Service Providers, Shelter Homes, and Medical Facilities are not properly utilised. Based on the population of each district and the average number of complaints/ inquiries related to domestic violence, a requisite number of protection officers holding independent charge shall be appointed by the State Government/ UT. protection officers, service providers, shelter homes and medical facilities, shall be made available to each police station, if possible with a designated officer /desk to be attached with each Police station, area community centers, offices of local bodies, gram panchayat in villages and block level offices. An empirical study throughout the States/ UTs shall be conducted by the Central Government to understand need of each district in terms of having minimum number of protection officers, shelter homes and medical facilities, etc.