HC asks Bihar to enforce 'Domestic Violence Act'

Patna High Court has directed the NDA government in Bihar to initiate steps to enforce the Domestic Violence Act, 2005. A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Rajendra Mal Lodha and Justice K K Mandal passed the order after hearing a public interest petition filed by senior advocate Shruti Singh. Singh, in his PIL, had complained that the delay in appointment of protection officers, creation of safe shelters, recording of incidents of domestic violence in prescribed format and lack of awareness on the provisions of the Act were coming in the way of women who seek safety under the Act. The state government had not framed rules for effective implementation of the Act, he alleged. The high court directive further asked the state to appoint protection officers and service providers in every district of Bihar by 30th November. It also ordered the state to make available one 'safe shelter' in each district for women affected by domestic violence, besides arranging programmes to train the police officers to handle cases relating to domestic violence. The Act came into force on 26th October, 2006 with the objective to protect women from domestic violence such as abuse or threat of abuse, harassment of any nature like physical, sexual, economic, verbal and emotional abuse. On behalf of the Department for Woman and Child Development Centre, its counsel Sanjay Kumar gave an opinion in connection with the PIL saying that the state government must take immediate steps for implementing the Act to check incidents of domestic violence.

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