
ACB nets Kaleshwaram project engineer with assets worth Rs 200 crore
KARIMNAGAR/HYDERABAD: Nune Sridhar, an executive engineer in the Irrigation department, was on Wednesday arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in a disproportionate assets case and sent to judicial remand.
Sridhar has been serving as in-charge of the Gayatri and Nandi Medaram pump houses under the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS).
Sridhar's arrest came after the ACB conducted searches at 14 locations, including his residence in Karimnagar and properties belonging to his relatives. Officials said the EE amassed assets 'through unlawful practices and dubious means' while serving in various capacities, including his current post in Division No-8, SRSP Camp, Choppadandi, Karimnagar.
The searches revealed that the accused had acquired these movable and immovable properties by abusing his official position, the ACB said. The searches are still going on. The unofficial estimate put the market value of the assets seized at around Rs 150 crore to Rs 200 crore. 'The market value is expected to be much higher than the official value,' the ACB release stated, adding that further investigation is in progress.
Sridhar resides in a flat in Karimnagar city. ACB carried out searches at his relatives' houses in Jyothinagar in Karimnagar.
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NDTV
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Compensation Denied, Justice Delayed: The Silent Wails Of POCSO Victims
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This delay starkly violates the POCSO Act's mandate for compensation disbursal within 30 days, highlighting a gap between law and lived reality. In another case, the Court adequately gauged the gravity of the offence and the distress of a 13-year-old victim of rape and resultant pregnancy, however, the state machinery fell short. The victim, who has now turned 18, was forced to abandon her education to raise her child (now 4 years old) without any familial support, as her father had passed away. Despite the lapse of five years, and award of interim compensation of Rs 1,50,000, nothing has not been disbursed to her as of today. These cases are not an exception, but emblematic of the systemic denial of justice to POCSO survivors across India. Statutory Framework and Evolution Compensation did not always form a part of the justice framework. Historically, any form of reparation to victims came from the fines imposed on the offenders. In 1973, Section 545 of the CrPC was amended enabling the courts to grant compensation even in the absence of fines. Reforms through 154th Law Commission Report (1996) and Malimath Committee Report (2003) further bolstered restorative justice to victims, mandating states to establish 'Victim Compensation Schemes. Recognising the need for a special framework for child victims of sexual offences, the Legislature enacted the gender-neutral POCSO Act, 2012, ensuring time-bound trials and rehabilitation. The POCSO Act empowered Special Courts to direct payment of compensation to the victims, and mandated Special Courts to award interim compensation to the child victims. It also required the state government to disburse the compensation within 30 days of receiving the order. Yet, compensation remains undisbursed for extended periods, at times even for 6-7 years, diluting the very purpose of restorative and rehabilitative justice. Judicial Recognition and Persistent Gaps The Hon'ble Supreme Court also expanded the scope of Article 21 by recognising victims' right to monetary compensation through various landmark judgments. Khatri v. State of Bihar and Rudul Sah v. State of Bihar were the first to lay the foundation of 'compensation' as a public law remedy under Article 32 and 226 of the Constitution. The principle of compensatory justice was reinforced in Nilabati Behera v. State of Orissa and D.K. Basu v. State of West Bengal. Accordingly, States' liability, in cases of breach of fundamental rights, especially with respect to Article 21 of the Constitution, was fastened. As a result, victim compensation became an intrinsic part of the justice delivery framework of India. However, there still remains an absence of a dedicated scheme for the child victims under POCSO. Noted by the Supreme Court around 7 years ago in Nipun Saxena Vs. Union of India, the top court mandated that the Compensation Scheme for Women Victims/Survivors of Sexual Assault and Other Crimes by NALSA be extended to POCSO victims, until a compensation scheme for children is notified. The states too were directed to immediately adopt the Scheme. However, till date many states have either failed to or have partially adopted the scheme. The Hon'ble Supreme Court once again in In Re Alarming Rise in the Number of POCSO Cases, took suo-motu cognizance of the alarming surge in child rape cases and the dismal rate of disposal under the POCSO Act. Among various systemic deficiencies highlighted by the Court, an appalling number stood out: only 1 per cent of the total POCSO victims were awarded compensation. This yet again pointed to the chronic non-implementation of victim compensation schemes that are not uniform across states. 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Endless Wait for Justice Unlike the cases of motor accidents, acid attacks, and atrocities against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, there exists no uniform compensation framework specifically for child victims under POCSO. It's ironic that while adult victims of other crimes benefit from well-structured schemes, child survivors of sexual violence are left in bureaucratic limbo. This has left a gaping hole in the justice delivery framework for children. In the absence of the scheme, compensation decisions are left to judicial discretions; often ending in no award at all or an inadequate amount that fails to meet the gravity of harm suffered by child survivors. Regrettably, many Special Courts continue to treat compensation as contingent to conviction of the accused, an approach that runs contrary to both statutory provisions and judicial interpretation. The distinction between establishing the commission of a crime and proving the identity of the offender needs to be understood on paper and in practice by our judicial system. Another issue is that the POCSO Special Courts are often hesitant in awarding compensation. The common reasons flagged include doubts regarding alleged falsity of complaints, coupled with the victim's turning hostile during trials. International framework on POCSO Compensation Interestingly, Countries like United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia have adopted a uniform and standardised scheme of compensation that is completely independent of conviction or the trial outcome. The process triggers automatically upon registration of the case, as opposed to manual filing in India. In United States and Australia, compensation also includes long-term counselling, education, relocation, vocational support with mental therapy, health care and other welfare benefits. 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Hans India
an hour ago
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