Patna is set to inaugurate India’s first Victim Rights Centre, a significant step aimed at offering comprehensive support to crime victims. This initiative will consolidate various services under one roof, ensuring that individuals affected by crime receive the assistance they need in a streamlined manner.
The Centre is a pilot project of the Bihar State Legal Services Authority. It will work as a single-window system where victims can get information about their legal rights and access different support services without having to visit multiple offices. The Centre will not directly provide compensation. Instead, it will coordinate with the police, hospitals, One Stop Centres, Child Welfare Committees and different government departments to ensure that the benefits and assistance available under law actually reach the victim.
The idea is to ensure that a victim does not have to repeatedly explain the same case to different authorities. Once a victim approaches the Centre, the case will be registered and given a Victim Case Number. A single case record will then be maintained. The Centre will assess the victim’s legal, medical, financial, psychological, protection and rehabilitation needs. Legal assistance will be provided from the stage of filing an FIR to bail, trial, sentencing and appeal. Help will also be provided for compensation applications, emergency medical treatment and witness protection. The Centre will also provide psychological support, counselling and court companionship. In cases where long-term support is required, it will help victims with shelter, education, skill training, livelihood opportunities and access to government welfare schemes.
