Fix OSCs to support women affected by violence, Delhi high court tells govt
HT on June 24 published a report, 'Locked doors and empty rooms: Delhi's one-stop centres are falling apart' underscoring the inadequate infrastructure, paucity of staff in the city's OSC's, including the ones in Tihar prison complex, Shahdara, Babu Jagjivan Ram Memorial (BJRM) Hospital and Lok Nayak Hospital.
A bench of chief justice DK Upadhyay and justice Tushar Rao Gedela observed that the news report, 'gives a telling story of the pathetic situation prevailing in OCS's', adding that the Delhi government and police had failed to take 'necessary steps and action' to implement and promote the objectives for which these centres were established.
The court directed the government to publicise the existence of these centres amongst stakeholders including police personnel, victims– by publishing advertisement in two newspapers, affixing sign boards in all conspicuous places including schools, hospitals, railway station, bus stations, market places, police stations highlighting the existence of OSCs and helpline number.
'Today, a news report published by HT in its Delhi edition, has been brought to our notice by the counsel for the petitioner. The said news report gives a telling story of the pathetic situation prevailing in OSC's. Though the report also mentions at least one such centre running at Lok Nayak Hospital where facilities have been reported to be found adequate, the newspaper report apart from mentioning inadequate infrastructure available with these centers, also reports paucity of staff to take care of the victims and for whose benefits these OSCs have been established,' the court said in its order.
It added, 'The Delhi government has filed an affidavit on May 19, 2025—- detailing the steps that they have taken. We are not satisfied with the steps and measures taken by the Delhi government and the Delhi police so far as publicity and creating awareness about these centres are concerned. Having regard to the affidavit filed, we are constrained to observe that necessary steps and action which are required to be taken on behalf of government and Delhi police have not been taken.'
The court was responding to a plea filed by the NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan, which highlighted the underutilisation of OSCs with regards to the payment of salaries to the staff, deputation of police officers. In its petition argued by advocate Prabhsahay Kaur, the NGO had asserted that the unawareness of the police personnel with regards to the procedures to be followed in cases of minor pregnancy and child marriages had led to further trauma to the victims of such crimes.
On Wednesday, the court also directed the government to forthwith recruit the staff and fill the existing vacancies, noting that the lack of adequate personnel could undermine the very purpose of the One Stop Centres and hinder their effectiveness. It also asked the government to pay salaries to the staff on time and arrange infrastructure.
'OSC's have been established to cater special needs of victims of crime who are vulnerable by virtue of the nature of the crime that they have been subjected to. For this reason alone, keeping any one stop centre not adequately staffed will ultimately lead to failure of the object sought to be achieved by establishing such centers,' the court said in its order.
It further asked the government to circulate the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to deal with cases of child pregnancy and child marriage be circulated to all relevant stakeholders, including police personnel and staff at the centres, issue appropriate circulars for its implementation and adherence and appoint a nodal officer for its proper functioning.
The matter would be next heard on October 15.
The OSC's were launched in November 2019, to assist women facing gender-based violence—whether domestic, sexual, or psychological—under a single roof, in compliance with the Supreme Court's December 2018 direction for setting up such centres in every district.
After Rekha Gupta took over as Delhi's chief minister in February, she repeatedly highlighted the mission of these centres and promised to set up 11 more, one in each district.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
5 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Amid sluggish GST growth, fake firms eating into UP's revenue
LUCKNOW Even as Uttar Pradesh remains nonplussed over sluggish GST growth, fake firms are eating into the state's revenue by fraudulently claiming input tax credit (ITC), without carrying out any actual transactions. The fake firms were fraudulently claiming input tax credit (ITC), without carrying out any actual transactions. (Pic for representation) A month-long drive by the state tax and the central GST departments, which is still on, unearthed a massive scam involving over 233 bogus or non-existent firms, resulting in a loss of more than ₹120 crore to the state exchequer — and counting. 'On our part, we have caught 33 bogus/non-existent firms registered under the state GST. Action, including lodging of FIRs against them, is being taken,' UP state tax commissioner Nitin Bansal told HT. Another state tax department official revealed that two of the 33 firms, dealt in scraps and were based in Gorakhpur. 'One of these firms fraudulently claimed ICT of ₹18.96 crore and the other to the tune of ₹1.93 crore. FIRs have been lodged against both,' he said adding: 'We have cancelled registration of 31 other firms as they were not found to be in existence.' The official said about 200 other entities, all registered under central GST, were found to be paper firms involved in generating fake invoices to fraudulently claim input tax credit (ITC). 'These bogus or non-existent firms collectively claimed ITC worth ₹200 crore, resulting in a ₹100-crore loss to Uttar Pradesh, as ITC is shared equally between the centre and the state,' he revealed. Officials explained that ITC was meant to prevent tax cascading by allowing businesses to claim credit on the tax paid for inputs. However, in this case, the firms created fictitious transactions and invoices to falsely claim credit — effectively defrauding the government. The crackdown followed an internal review by chief minister Yogi Adityanath, who also holds the commercial tax/GST portfolio, after the state recorded negative or flat GST growth in three months of the current financial year. The 4% decline in GST growth vis-a-vis the corresponding period of 2024 triggered panic in the government as GST is the main source of the state government's tax earnings. Principal secretary, state tax, M Devraj directed authorities to launch a statewide campaign to identify possible causes for the low GST collections, with focus on bogus firms. 'The reports of entire July have not been prepared yet. We expect the number of bogus/non-existent firms registered under the state GST to go up from 33,' the official said.
Scroll.in
7 hours ago
- Scroll.in
UP suspends official after anti-encroachment order in Ballia mentions caste, religion
The Uttar Pradesh government suspended a Panchayati Raj Department official in Ballia district after an order issued by him mentioning the caste and religion of persons whose properties were to be demolished in an anti-encroachment drive triggered a row, The Indian Express reported on Tuesday. The order suspending Joint Director of Panchayati Raj SN Singh came on Monday night. The district administration also withdrew the order on the anti-encroachment drive dated August 2, which was issued by Singh, following criticism on social media and directives from Chief Minister Adityanath, the Hindustan Times reported. The August 2 order pertained to a drive to remove alleged encroachments from Gram Sabha land, ponds, playgrounds, cremation grounds and panchayat buildings. It specifically mentioned 'illegal occupation by people of a particular caste (Yadav) and a particular religion (Muslim)', The Indian Express reported. Adityanath said that the order was 'completely discriminatory and unacceptable', adding that it was a serious administrative lapse, the Hindustan Times reported. The Bharatiya Janata Party leader said that the language used in the directive was contrary to the state government's policies and created division in the society, which would not be tolerated. He added that action against encroachments should be taken with complete fairness, facts and law and not on the basis of caste or religion, the newspaper reported. The chief minister also warned officials not to allow such mistakes to be repeated, according to the Hindustan Times. In light of the development, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said that his party would move the court against the order. 'Action should be taken against anything that is illegal…so why are people of a particular caste or religion being targeted,' Yadav said in a social media post. 'The judiciary should take immediate notice, this is an anti-constitutional act.' जो भी गैर-क़ानूनी हो उसके ख़िलाफ़ कार्रवाई हो क्योंकि अवैध तो अवैध होता फिर क्यों किसी जाति या धर्म विशेष के लोगों को टारगेट किया जा रहा है। न्यायपालिका तुरंत संज्ञान ले, ये संविधान विरोधी काम है। हम इसके ख़िलाफ़ कोर्ट जाएंगे। पीडीए को जितना प्रताड़ित किया जाएगा, पीडीए एकता… — Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) August 5, 2025 Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai said the incident had shown the mindset of the state government and its officials. 'Orders based on caste or religion are not acceptable at any cost,' the Hindustan Times quoted Rai as saying. 'The officers who are hand in gloves with the BJP should be severely punished.'
Hindustan Times
8 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Army's Dagger Division salutes Op with Sindoor Dwar in Baramulla
The army's strategic 19 Infantry Division, also known as Dagger Division, has named one of the prominent gates at its headquarters in Baramulla Sindoor Dwar after the successful military operation under which precision strikes were carried out on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on May 7 in the aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. The army's 19 Infantry Division, also known as Dagger Division, has named one of the gates at its headquarters in Baramulla Sindoor Dwar after the successful military operation. (HT Photo) The gate of the division headquarters, located near the offices of the Baramulla deputy inspector general of police and senior superintendent and police, is manned 24x7 and reflects the pride the army takes in the operation. 'The gate is dedicated to the success of the operation in May to avenge the targeted killing of 26 civilians in Pahalgam,' said an officer posted in the division. The Dagger Division is responsible for the security on the Line of Control from Gulmarg up to Uri. The forward posts in Uri had come under intense cross-border shelling by Pakistan between May 7 and 10 before the ceasefire was announced. During Operation Sindoor, the division and its formations had played a key role in responding to the shelling besides air and drone attacks from across the LoC. India had launched the operation in the early hours of May 7, bombing nine terror camps in Pakistan and PoK. The pre-dawn strikes, which killed at least 100 terrorists, sparked a series of attacks and counter attacks across the western border, involving fighter jets, missiles, armed drones, and artillery and rocket duels. In one such counterattack on the night of May 9-10, the air force struck targets at 13 Pakistani air bases and military installations. After four days of fighting, military hostilities were stopped on May 10 as the two nations reached an understanding. Besides Sindoor Dwar, the army has named several sites in Baramulla after top commanders and operations that it wears as a badge of honour. It had recently named the stadium after the country's first chief of defence staff (CDS), General Bipin Rawat, who had at one time commanded the 19 Infantry Division. A park in the heart of the city, which also has a public library, has been named after Field Marshal KM Cariappa, the first Indian commander-in-chief of the Indian Army. A hall, which was earlier a cinema house, is named after former army chief General KS Thimayya.
