23-07-2025
Fix OSCs to support women affected by violence, Delhi high court tells govt
The Delhi high court on Wednesday issued a slew of directions to the Delhi government for effective functioning and proper publicity of the city's One Stop Centres (OSC's), aimed to support women affected by violence, taking note of a Hindustan Times report highlighting the dire conditions and shortcomings prevailing in these centres. HT on June 24 published a report underscoring the inadequate infrastructure, paucity of staff in Delhi's One Stop Centres. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)
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.
