Compensation to rape victim: Same crime but different relief

NEW DELHI: Though no monetary help can compensate for the agony of a rape victim, yet various state governments may have only done more damage by fixing hugely varied amounts of compensation for rape victims with Goa offering Rs 10 lakh while West Bengal giving only Rs 20,000.


The Home Ministry, at Monday’s National Integration Council meet, revealed that almost 17 states, who have notified the scheme have fixed different amounts for compensation to rape victims.

The seven union territories including Delhi have, however, fixed the same maximum compensation amount of Rs 3 lakh to the victim. Goa is offering the maximum compensation amount of Rs 10 lakh while Rajasthan has notified the second-highest compensation of Rs 2 lakh and has in fact notified offering Rs 3 lakh in the case of a minor rape victim. This is followed by Rs 1.5 lakh fixed by Odisha and Rs 1lakh in Gujarat.

The slide begins with Assam offering Rs 75,000 and Bihar, Sikkim, Tripura, Arunachal, Himachal Pradesh and Mizoram all fixing a compensation of Rs 50,000.