Pune District Legal Services Authority Grants ₹5 Lakh Compensation to Bopdev Ghat Gang-Rape Survivor Under ‘Manodhairya’ Scheme

Pune District Legal Services Authority, under the ‘Manodhairya’ scheme, will provide compensation of ₹5 lakh to the survivor of the Bopdev Ghat gang-rape.

The survivor had applied for compensation on October 11, and the Legal Services Authority approved her application. The 21-year-old woman was allegedly raped by three unidentified men on the night of October 3 in the Bopdev Ghat area, where she had gone with a male friend. With the latest arrest, the police have apprehended two of the accused.

Under the Manodhairya Yojana, launched in October 2013, the state government provides compensation to victims of rape and other crimes against women. This scheme is managed by the Legal Services Authority. Concerns raised by political parties and NGOs over the 2015 Kamla Mills gang-rape case in Mumbai prompted the state government to formulate the proposal. The victim, an intern with an English magazine, was gang-raped by five men when she and her male colleague went to a deserted mill compound in Lower Parel on an assignment. The incident triggered outrage across the country and was condemned as despicable and shameful.

As per the compensation guidelines, the survivor will receive 25% of the ₹5 lakh in cash, while the remaining 75% will be deposited as a fixed deposit in a bank for a period of ten years. The interest earned from this deposit will be used to cover the survivor’s daily expenses.

The ‘Manodhairya’ scheme was established to rehabilitate women and children who have been victims of sexual crimes.