Supreme court directs states, UTs to appoint protection officers for women's safety
New Delhi: In a significant step toward strengthening the implementation of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, the Supreme Court has instructed all states and union territories to designate officials from the Department of Women and Child Development as protection officers at the district and taluka levels.
The directive was issued by a bench comprising Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma. The court stated that chief secretaries of states and union territories, along with secretaries of the Women and Child/Social Welfare Departments, ensure the timely appointment of these officers.
The bench emphasised that the appointed protection officers should actively discharge their duties under Section 11 by giving wide publicity through media to promote awareness about the provisions of the Act and ensure its effective implementation.
The court has given a six-week deadline for this process to be completed in areas where protection officers have not yet been assigned.
Additionally, the apex court stressed the importance of ensuring access to service providers, support groups, and shelter homes for women facing domestic violence. States have been directed to identify suitable shelter facilities to support women in distress.
This directive came in response to a petition filed by the NGO We the Women of India, which highlighted the existing shortcomings in infrastructure and implementation mechanisms under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act.
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Manipur: Mortal remains of children killed in bomb attack handed over to family
Imphal (PTI): The mortal remains of two children, who were killed in a bomb attack in Manipur's Bishnupur district in April, were handed over to family members on Saturday, officials said.
The bodies of the five-year-old boy and his six-month-old sister were kept in the morgue for 25 days, as the family members had refused to accept the mortal remains, demanding that the perpetrators be brought to book at the earliest.
On April 25, Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh had appealed to the family members of the children to accept the bodies. Singh had also said that all efforts were underway to find the culprits.
The two children were killed in a bomb attack at Tronglaobi in Bishnupur district on April 7. Their bodies were kept in the morgue at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal.
The incident had triggered widespread violent protests in the five valley districts of Manipur, and the case was subsequently handed over to the NIA.
Hundreds of people lined up along the way to Tronglaobi to offer floral tributes, as the mortal remains were taken for the last rites in an open vehicle earlier in the day.
